https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com
https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/cultural-misappropriation.html
https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2021/01/copy-right-2020-2040-no-poaching.html
# 1. 'Baul History' and 'Her-story' has been Archived and Preserved by Babu Kishan decades ago! If you hear anybody, usually a new Baul singer, asking for donations to preserve Baul, think twice and if they say they are from a lineage, think again?
No one ever used lineage with Baul because there is only one lineage, there are so many now who copy everything from this lineage, take the names off and add their names or who say Baul does not care who wrote the poetry?
Baul knows who wrote the poetry and Baul cares. There are so many false teachings being passed around.
Think twice as Baul has already been recorded and preserved decades ago by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das. Yet, new saviours have appeared over the past ten years, we have followed all, many are sincere, many are not and just trying to be Maa or Baba and to do so, they are creating a cultural genocide and this by people who are not even born in Bengal let alone Birbhum?? The recent ones do not even know what they are talking about?
A new book Babu's 4th will be released soon.
Babu Kishan has been preserving Baul since the 1960's from inside this one and only lineage, he is the eldest Grandson of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and Brajabala Dasi, they were his parents who he bonded with, no other Grandchildren of Nabani's spent the time that Babu Kishan did with him.
His life mission since the 1960's and that is the only way anybody would know about Baul through his family lineage.
Another Lineage is a lie made up by a Women Baul who constantly spreads fake teachings about Baul new narratives that never existed?
Her Guru is NOT a Baul Guru nor from Lineage Baul, he followed this family, this lineage, singing their songs, dressing in Babu's designed dress, he followed and copied Nabani style Ektara, Baya and Nupoor (ankle) bells?
No Bauls ever sang on a stage until Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, so if you are singing on a stage you are copying Nabani?
New Baul Performers do not know the History of The Vaishnava Bauls of Bengal, they spread and think the Sahaja in Baul comes from Buddhism, it does not and that should be your first clue, 2nd clue they are not from Birbhum.
They realized, hey if I attach myself to Baul and sing their songs, follow them around the world I too will become famous like Purna Das Baul?
They are trying now copying whatever Babu Kishan has done and the new ones have never met him, they follow everything he does, including trying to emulate his 40 years in Indian Cinema. Even his brother do this?
They say, I will throw out a bit of this and that, as an example, like there are 5 types of Baul. They create false narratives, I will tell them Baul comes from all over that East Indian area that belt?
Why, they do this and make it up as they go, is to include themselves in a new narrative, trying to collect devotee's so that they can be like Amma or SadGuru?? This is a lucrative business.
They will tell you Baul does not care about their songs and use the term Baul Masters instead of naming the Baul. There is no such thing as a Baul Master in the whole history of Baul?
They will say Bauls do NOT come from families, another new narrative that is 100% false, they have no depth and are representing something that does not belong to them.
Baul is extinct and this is a travesty of corruption and using of Baul?
Baul is through family transmission, this is the lineage for thousands of years, it is through family and a family way of life, it has always been that way, yes, there is more to it, I am only showing how new narratives to fit the person posing, is leading to an already marginalized very tiny lineage.
They will say, the Sahaja of Baul comes from Budhism and rattle on about Nalanda ect.... all wrong.
Baul Sahaja is not copied from Buddhism? If they do not even know that they are using Baul, now watch the narrative change. Seriously this is insane.
Most if not all of the 'new Bauls' and scholars representing Baul today are not from Baul and are not Baul. They are scholars of copy and pasted from other Books written about Baul that were wrong!
They collect and change the narrative to their level of understanding, not the real in fact but a slant to what they think but what is not reality, it is about a career, writing books and a teaching post at a University?
The others are performers, tourist attractions, dramatic artists with full costume and whatever attracts an audience?
However, they not versed in Sanskrit, Vedas, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Yoga, Indian Philosophy or Vedanta, as far as I can see they are learners copy and paste of Ramakrishna, but Babu Kishan is the only one who has been a monk in the Ramakrishna order for 12 years.
They never used to do this, but when I wrote Babu spent 12 years in the RamaKrishna Mission now they focus on Ramakrishna?
When they read about Babu Kishan history in Indian Cinema and as a Indian Music Composer, they all started to be that too.
Adding their name to the IMDb: Internet Movie Data Base?? For what, what is the reason?
Frantic about collecting and being every where and people believe this? They eat it up, as if the more media and following everything Babu has done, will make one legit?
None are experienced or versed in Baul Tantra they are spreading Baul came from Buddhism and that Baul Sahaja is Buddhist Sahaja, it is not, it is different?
I have seen the copying of Babu Kishan Youtube songs and then re-releasing them, cheating putting other poets names on?
I have seen my web site scoured and then after reading my web site on Baul, the copying an then using Akara, correcting what they wrote wrongly. Seriously, this must be addressed very shortly in the media. The fundraising by donation to preserve Baul, dear, Baul was preserved decades ago?
LOL but since I have written, this the new Baul altruistically who are now preserving Baul are scrambling to show they are more Hindu, when a few years ago, they were saying Baul is from Turkey and repeats Baul is from Buddhism, saying what others wrote in Books is not Baul because it is all wrong, speculations repeated over and over.
You can not make this stuff up, people follow wrong fake all the time?
Now as I write they are quickly changing their narrative, as I have written everything for Babu Kishan for 16 years, everything he says, I write and document and you should know I research constantly and copy what other Bauls write about Baul and I measure and ask Questions, is this correct or not and I sadly I say what people say or write about Baul is wrong.
The new Bauls find something in an old book and take it as gospel. In some ways I am glad Babu has held back because just watch the narrative change as he will release more. Yet, to most if it looks exotic it must be, and life is stranger than fiction. Just because one acts sweet and looks exotic does not mean one is a Baul. Actually a Baul will discourage anyone from following Baul, so come and join us, is not what Baul is about?
The new Baul singers have not been taught the incredible historical legacy that is The Bauls of Bengal, some are more interested in how they look or how they can make themselves a celebrity or a Baba or Maa, it has proved very lucrative financially and fundraising is the same as charging, no virtue signalling LOL ?
The new followers of Baul, 'the fake it til they make', make it up as they go, they say Bauls do not care who wrote the songs and then say 'Baul Masters' making Baul 'generic Baul' Baul never used the term randomizing Baul using "Baul Masters'. Baul uses the names of the Bauls in their songs? Again, this is randomizing Baul leading further to a cultural genocide.
It is much easier to claim what does not belong to them when one randomizes Baul instead of knowing the names of who wrote the poetry, Babu Kishan knows, why do you not, and then say Baul does not care or use the term Baul Masters??
Now watch how many composers and music producers will appear, they are big on changing their story, but how would you know?
You wouldn't and that is the problem, how would, someone from America, Europe of South America know, everybody does practice, that is not a reason to claim you are a Baul Master??
I have been full on practice since 1980 but that does not make me a Baul, exactly because I am not a Baul, I am Babu Kishan's wife. I listen, I write. How would you know what is real and what is not, how long have you studied and practices Baul under a real Baul Guru not a made up one? As any outsider do you understand 100% of Birbhum Bengali, yes it is different from Bangladesh Bengali?
They get lots of Likes on FB they get collect tens of thousands of LIKES, that does not make one authentic? That is lying, stealing and virtue signalling, no wants to hear about the fakery that is going on?
Cherry pickers, however not for the benefit of preserving Baul, but for their own benefit of creating a new narrative to become a Baba or Maa, which is a huge business if you can make enough people stupid, and that possibility is a reality.
I have documented all of the inconsistencies over decades, it is a comedy show, the virtue signalling is beyond.
All Bauls follow this One and Only Lineage of Bauls, they dress as they dress, they sing their songs and they go where ever they go, they follow what they do!
Babu Kishan is the first Baul to teach at Universities around the world, because he is qualified for decades. Of course they copy him. Teaching there are 4 types of Baul, is wrong. You are watering down and destroying what does not even belong to you.
Ektara, Baya, Napoor (ankle bells) are only this lineage, they are classic Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, that is fact.
This is the lineage of Nityananda Mahaprabhu (Nitai) and his son Birbhadra (Vribhadra) Gosai of Ekachakra and thousands of years before. So when you decide to mention Nitai he is an ancestor of this lineage only.
Not only lineage but ancestors oral tradition of Sanskrit and Birbhum vernacular Bengali. If one does not speak Birbhum vernacular Bengali but speaks Bangladeshi Bengali they are not from this lineage, they follow this lineage.
If a so called Baul Guru wears a patch work dress or has in the past, they 100% follow this lineage and are following Babu Kishan because he designed it 40 years ago.
- If they use the name 'Das Baul' they are only from this lineage.
- If they dance with Ektara (Gopi Yantra), Baya (drum at side) and Nupoor (ankle bells) they are following this lineage. Khymak the Mystical Drum which Nabani (Naboni) named Ananda Lahari is also, this lineage or Sampradaya.
The Sahaja of the Bauls:
Baul Sahaja is not Buddhist Sahaja!
Baul Sahaja is a different Sahaja, seriously I am not going to say here because it will be cherry picked and the narrative will be changed again and again.
- The people talking about Baul now, do not know so they speculate taking bits and pieces from this lineage, copy and pasting in writing and in youtube videos?
- Cherry Picking always involves taking part of the story maybe just a mention of Bob Dylan or Nabani or Nitai but not telling the whole story, just making insinuations. They try to make association where there is none, going to save the Bauls of Bengal, going to fundraise to create something, just using what will sound good for a narrative.
- Taking bit and pieces someone else's ancestry for your own narrative. There is a difference between Cultural appreciation and Cultural appropriation.
There is no Bengal without Baul, and there is no Baul without Bengal, there is a soul connection between the Bauls and the soil of Bengal.
I am sorry to say one problem is that scholars or writers on Baul have it wrong, they have either talked to the wrong Bauls or have cut and paste what already has been falsely written in books and articles regarding who the Baul are.
Now we have youtuber's acting as authority on Baul, cheery picking things I have written or Babu Kishan has talked about as if they actually know, for instance Nabani was a professor at Tagore's Vishva Bharti, I and only I have written that and it comes from Babu Kishan?
There is so much more to the story?
It is always, come and join us and our lineage, the Baul Masters?? Make a donation while you are at it.
By the Way, there is no other lineage of Baul?
- Pieces I have written are taken and re-worded over and over. Everything we have written is under copyright, please if you want to use part of this lineage, talk to Babu Kishan.
- For instance and you can double check every Baul and Baul writer copies what Professor Edward Dimock wrote which is, 'Baul means afflicted by the wind and mad'.
- This is not what Baul means, yet you will see New Baul actors and singers copy word for word how an English speaking western Scholar say what Baul is.
- Babu did meet and have discussions with Mr Dimock, he did tell him that Baul is not exactly what he writes, it is not the Gospel of what Baul is.
Baul is 2 Sanskrit Words Vayu and Tula and how that works is a huge discourse but it is related to Vayu and Baul practices, Bengali's always use a B instead of V.
Vikram is Bikran, Vrindavan is Brindaban? Vatula = Batula = Baula = simple Baul.
No one has ever said this before only Babu has let out these teachings so if you see if copied and pasted now you know where it was copied from.
- It is important to get the story straight but when new Baul singers actors, take stories from this lineage, purposely deleting the names off, replacing it with a Shri Shri Guru who is not a Baul Guru, that is cultural appropriation, watering down and reductionism. Nabani Das Khyapa Baul would never have approved, he would have told you to get lost. Yet, you copy his style?
- Some are trying to popularize Bauls by saying that the Bauls are a rootless religion, this is one of the biggest distortions ever heard, and completely wrong.
They "New Baul singers" will say Bauls do not care who wrote the songs, they do not care who the poets are.
The only person who would say, Bauls do not care or keep records of their poetry or songs are NOT a Baul. They will say this because they DO NOT know or they are cheating and making things up.
An Baul actor who is using Baul to further their own agenda will always say they don't know who the poets are, they will make it random or they will create new stories to cover their ignorance.
Baul is not a religion or a cult.
Baul is a Dharma and a Tantric path of sadhana.
Baul roots are not only deep they are ancient. If you do not know the eternal dharma and proceed on a path without roots how will never understand or gain the depth that is acquired from a strong foundation, one needs to understand the history, the roots of Baul, the eternal dharma called Baul.
Making up roots and a Guru is not Baul, it is a crime against a family lineage.
The oral (Sanskrit) living lineage of the Baul of Birbhum Bengal are an ocean that was established thousands of years ago. The new rivers flow into the ocean, the ocean does not flow into the river.
Rivers come to meet the ocean not the other way around, the ocean can not be smaller, everyday the ocean gets bigger and bigger, a river can only flow into the ocean. A seed will grow roots then grow into a beautiful tree full of lush leaves, flowers and fruit, the fruit of this tree is called Baul.
This fruit can only grow through sadhana. The juice or rasa of Baul is only alive and drinkable because this lineage has kept the songs alive, the Baul sadhana and Baul philosophy alive for thousands of years through devotion.
In my observations the 'new Bauls' are trying to change the unchangeable ocean of the Bauls of Bengal, cutting the roots off, without the roots the tree will not grow for future generations. Baul is mystical tradition of sadhana, a Guru and disciple parampara Oral Living (Sanskrit) Lineage and today a vernacular Birbhum Bengali tradition.
You see the thing is Babu has really sharp ears as he was born into the oral sanskrit tradition which gives a photographic memory. Birbhum Bengali is different from Bangladeshi Bengali. Most of the Bauls on youtube today are not from Birbhum the roots of Baul, they are mostly refugee's from East Pakistan their dialect is different, their songs are different.
My lineage of Bauls being the oldest living lineage of Baul, we are the original ecstatic devotional singer, we are Tantric Bhakti Yogi's from West Bengal India. In 2011 I am finding the Bauls are at a crossroad, which way will they go?
Nobel prized great poet Rabindranath Tagore was deeply inspired by Nabani Das Baul, Baul Music and Baul philosophy, as Shri Nabani Das Baul was Tagore's Baul guru.
Nabani Das Baul was the first and last Baul Teacher at Rabindranath Tagore's University 'Viswa Bharti'. He also was Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Baul Music, Dance and philosophy teacher at Viswa Bharti, this is how Nabani Das Baul had come to Know Jawaharlal Nehru. When India gained independence form the British in 1947 Nehru invited Nabani Das Baul to sing at the inaugaration ceremonies all over India.
From Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to America's poet Allen Ginsberg, Beatles, Rollingstones, Bob Dylan, Mahalia Jackson, Gandhiji, Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Osho, Amandamayi Ma, Ramakrishna Dev, Shri SitaRam Omkarnath, were all inspired by our lineage of Bauls from Bengal.
Even Mother Theresa loved the Bauls, and there are many others whom this lineage of Bauls, my family inspired, only this lineage.
Anandamoyi Ma once said to me,"Bauls are complete, they are far advanced to a university degree, they are beyond a PHD." She said, that she wanted to be in touch with my grandfather Nabani Das Baul but for some reason could not, her strongest spiritual guru Sitaram Das Omkarnath who brought her into the spiritual limelight was a very close associate of Nabani Das Baul and it was Sitaram Das Omkarnath.
It was Sitarm Das Omkarnath who told Ananadmoyi Ma the many stories about my grandfather Sri Nabani Das Baul.
At that time in history it was so hard to do what Anandamoyi Ma did, it was a mans world in regards to being a spiritual guru, I loved both Anandamoyi Ma and Sitaram Das Omkarnath.
Edward Dimock Jr. in his The Place of the Hidden Moon (1966) writes: "Rabindranath Tagore put the Bauls on a higher-than-respectable level by his praise of the beauty of their songs and spirit, and by his frank and proud acknowledgement of his own poetic debt to them."
The Lineage Bauls of Bengal also inspired many other successful poets, playwrights and songwriters of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The names Goswami (Gosai) Das or Dasi have been our lineages names since the beginning of the story going back thousands of years.
We are a lineage of mystical song and dance and of kirtan from West Bengal India. Kirtan is not just call and response chanting, it is about telling the stories of Radha and Krishna, the stories of all the scriptures, who is Ram and Sita what did they do, what are their stories?
The Baul must learn these stories, they are seeds of Indian Baul philosophy, these seed songs are exactly what Baul songs are about. The seeds grow into the tree called Baul Sadhana, without the seeds or the roots a tree will never grow.. it is these roots I am trying to preserve for future generations.
The truth is and is well known in Bengal that Shri Nityananda, or Nitai born in Ekchhaka, Birbhum, West Bengal in the 1400-1500's was a Baul. Shri Nityananda inspired his best friend, a scholar by the name of Shri Chaitanya Dev, or Gauranga.
As best friends Sri Nityananda shared the Hare Krishna Mahamantra with Shri Chaitanya Dev, along with our Hare Krishna song, dance and Baul sadhana. Baul is an oral tradition, an oral tradition is passed on through sanskrit, word of mouth, hearing and remembering, as in storytelling.
An oral (Sanskrit) tradition is not a book tradition, the books are stored in our memory. Much has been distorted by scholarly writers and by Vaishnava reformers. These writers and reformers never had a connection to the oral tradition or the roots of Baul. The way of the Baul is the way of the Rasa Lila Mystics, the original Hare Krishna singers and dancers in Bengal.
Bauls accept all, feed all, they even adopt those who are rejected by mainstream society. A Baul is never pedantic, we never say we are better or that Krishna is better than Shiva, that kind of talk is for the spiritually immature.
Bauls encourage people, they are not preachers who gather people for the sake of collecting devotee's and money to build temples. Bauls want everybody to be a free bird, to find the divine within. Bauls talk for the people, they show love they do not just talk about it, they already know all the finer points of Bhakti yoga.
Shri Nityananda being a Brahmin Lineage Baul when he met Chaitanya was already dancing and singing the Mahamantra as his ancestors had been doing for almost 5,000 years.
This song and dance naturally, and spontaneously flowed to Shri Chaitanya. Now I see the Bauls have been removed from all stories regarding Sri Nityananda and Sri Chaitanya completely written out of Vaishnava history.
I am also seeing Sri Nityananada being left out of the story by some modern writers stating Shri Chaitanya is the only father of modern day kirtan ?? I will write more on this at a later date.
There is a huge misunderstanding that Bauls are beggars, they are only beggars for God/dess, some how we are all beggars in this world we are all begging for our survival, we are all begging for money, we all have to support ourselves and our families.
Bauls are beggars for Goddess, they sometimes completely forget about their material reality, artha.The world is rapidly changing and so do Bauls need to change, it is easy for someone else to live in another country and say they sould stay the way they are, but the world is not supporting the way they are, they actually are suffering because Bauls tend to be innocent and trusting, today people are so clever, it is easy to use the Bauls, take their music.
In the old days Bauls were offered dakshina or offering of gratitude to the Guru. Yes, Bauls were Guru's who dedicated their lives to pass on the most important spiritual knowledge of the Upanishads, Vedas, Yoga and Indian Philosophy. They provided deep inspiration to the people living in the rural villages of Bengal. Purna Das Baul was the first Baul who made sure Bauls recieved money for their songs for their performances.
Although his father Nabani Das would be have been furious if you gave him money for his singing as he was a Baul Guru, it was automatic that he received Dakshina out of respect for his amazing knowledge and spontaneous healings, it was a way of respect, a way of being grateful.
Edward Dimock Jr. in his The Place of the Hidden Moon (1966) writes: "Rabindranath Tagore put the Bauls on a higher-than-respectable level by his praise of the beauty of their songs and spirit, and by his frank and proud acknowledgement of his own poetic debt to them."
The Lineage Bauls of Bengal also inspired many other successful poets, playwrights and songwriters of the 19th and 20th centuries.
The names Goswami (Gosai) Das or Dasi have been our lineages names since the beginning of the story going back thousands of years. We are a lineage of mystical song and dance and of kirtan from West Bengal India. Kirtan is not just call and response chanting, it is about telling the stories of Radha and Krishna, the stories of all the scriptures, who is Ram and Sita what did they do, what are their stories?
The Baul must learn these stories, they are seeds of Indian Baul philosophy, these seed songs are exactly what Baul songs are about. The seeds grow into the tree called Baul Sadhana, without the seeds or the roots a tree will never grow.. it is these roots I am trying to preserve for future generations.
The truth is and is well known in Bengal that Shri Nityananda, or Nitai born in Ekchhaka, Birbhum, West Bengal in the 1400-1500's was a Baul. Shri Nityananda inspired his best friend, a scholar by the name of Shri Chaitanya Dev, or Gauranga.
As best friends Sri Nityananda shared the Hare Krishna Mahamantra with Shri Chaitanya Dev, along with our Hare Krishna song, dance and Baul sadhana. Baul is an oral tradition, an oral tradition is passed on through sanskrit, word of mouth, hearing and remembering, as in storytelling.
An oral (Sanskrit) tradition is not a book tradition, the books are stored in our memory. Much has been distorted by scholarly writers and by Vaishnava reformers. These writers and reformers never had a connection to the oral tradition or the roots of Baul. The way of the Baul is the way of the Rasa Lila Mystics, the original Hare Krishna singers and dancers in Bengal.
Bauls accept all, feed all, they even adopt those who are rejected by mainstream society. A Baul is never pedantic, we never say we are better or that Krishna is better than Shiva, that kind of talk is for the spiritually immature.
Bauls encourage people, they are not preachers who gather people for the sake of collecting devotee's and money to build temples. Bauls want everybody to be a free bird, to find the divine within. Bauls talk for the people, they show love they do not just talk about it, they already know all the finer points of Bhakti yoga.
Shri Nityananda being a Brahmin Lineage Baul when he met Chaitanya was already dancing and singing the Mahamantra as his ancestors had been doing for almost 5,000 years.
This song and dance naturally, and spontaneously flowed to Shri Chaitanya. Now I see the Bauls have been removed from all stories regarding Sri Nityananda and Sri Chaitanya completely written out of Vaishnava history.
I am also seeing Sri Nityananada being left out of the story by some modern writers stating Shri Chaitanya is the only father of modern day kirtan ?? I will write more on this at a later date.
There is a huge misunderstanding that Bauls are beggars, they are only beggars for God/dess, some how we are all beggars in this world we are all begging for our survival, we are all begging for money, we all have to support ourselves and our families.
Bauls are beggars for Goddess, they sometimes completely forget about their material reality, artha.The world is rapidly changing and so do Bauls need to change, it is easy for someone else to live in another country and say they sould stay the way they are, but the world is not supporting the way they are, they actually are suffering because Bauls tend to be innocent and trusting, today people are so clever, it is easy to use the Bauls, take their music.
In the old days Bauls were offered dakshina or offering of gratitude to the Guru. Yes, Bauls were Guru's who dedicated their lives to pass on the most important spiritual knowledge of the Upanishads, Vedas, Yoga and Indian Philosophy. They provided deep inspiration to the people living in the rural villages of Bengal. Purna Das Baul was the first Baul who made sure Bauls received money for their songs for their performances.
Baul's never arrived in the villages of Bengal with people touch their feet, they touched other peoples feet. They teach to honour yourself to touch your own feet first.
Although his father Nabani Das would be have been furious if you gave him money for his singing as he was a Baul Guru, it was automatic that he received Dakshina out of respect for his amazing knowledge and spontaneous healings, it was a way of respect, a way of being grateful.
Shri Nityananda being a Brahmin Lineage Baul when he met Chaitanya was already dancing and singing the Mahamantra as his ancestors had been doing for almost 5,000 years.
This song and dance naturally, and spontaneously flowed to Shri Chaitanya. Now I see the Bauls have been removed from all stories regarding Sri Nityananda and Sri Chaitanya completely written out of Vaishnava history.
I am also seeing Sri Nityananada being left out of the story by some modern writers stating Shri Chaitanya is the only father of modern day kirtan ?? I will write more on this at a later date.
There is a huge misunderstanding that Bauls are beggars, they are only beggars for God/dess, some how we are all beggars in this world we are all begging for our survival, we are all begging for money, we all have to support ourselves and our families.
Bauls are beggars for Goddess, they sometimes completely forget about their material reality, artha.The world is rapidly changing and so do Bauls need to change, it is easy for someone else to live in another country and say they sould stay the way they are, but the world is not supporting the way they are, they actually are suffering because Bauls tend to be innocent and trusting, today people are so clever, it is easy to use the Bauls, take their music.
In the old days Bauls were offered dakshina or offering of gratitude to the Guru. Yes, Bauls were Guru's who dedicated their lives to pass on the most important spiritual knowledge of the Upanishads, Vedas, Yoga and Indian Philosophy. They provided deep inspiration to the people living in the rural villages of Bengal. Purna Das Baul was the first Baul who made sure Bauls recieved money for their songs for their performances.
Although his father Nabani Das would be have been furious if you gave him money for his singing as he was a Baul Guru, it was automatic that he received Dakshina out of respect for his amazing knowledge and spontaneous healings, it was a way of respect, a way of being grateful.
Today we pay for books, newspapers, magazines, TV and the Internet, we pay to get certified in just about every aspect of Indian spirituality, we pay to keep the temples.
Bauls provided these services through song and dance way before people even had books, they taught lessons in Indian spirituality, in the art and science of life, how to cooperate with nature, how to reach the highest, deep love by removing the shackles that bind us, for this they were given dakshina.
Bauls have always been a major part of life in rural Bengal, they an integral part of Bengali culture.
Bauls are the spiritual Guru bards, spiritual musical mystical Guru minstrels from West Bengal India.
Bauls are the magical removers of darkness, they awaken the soul. They have been holding the key to the unseen magical world for thousands of years, there is a flow of magical lineage flowing through their blood.
Bauls are simple but it is not simple to just call oneself a Baul, you must have done years and years of sadhana under a Guru, who also has the gift or the key, and can give the gift.
Subodh Mitra's 1955 Raikamal classic oldie Bengali movie , was a film about my grandfather Shri Nabani Das Baul. When a movie is made about you in India in 1955 you can guess that Sri Nabani Das Baul was a figure of importance, a legendary person.
The Bengali movie Hansraj was based on the life of my father.
In 1985 which featured stories about my aunt Radharani Dasi, an outstanding woman Baul was called Tagori and it should be known I designed her dress for the movie. I provided the story, and was the film project designer, they also made this movie into a Hindi version called Sawan Koaane aane do made by Rajshri Productions.
Raikamal (Bengali, 1955) was adapted from a story by the Bengali author Tarashankar Banerjee who wrote about Sri Nabani Das Baul. The movie stared Uttam Kumar, Kaberi Bose, Nitish Mukherjee, Sabitri Chatterjee, Chandrabati Devi, Jiben Bose, Namita Sinha and others with music directed by Pankaj Mullick.
It is my thought that new Baul singers should at the very least be sadhaks andsadhika’s. A Baul should have experience in all areas of life, Bauls should be accomplished. Today we have Baul singers who are like tourist attractions, wandering world festivals calling themselves legendary?
In my opinion this is a blatant distortion of this most beautiful ancient oral living lineage. They are painting a picture, making up stories so fantastic, to be Baul is to be humble.
The original Bauls of Bengal are extinct and it is a tragedy making up stories, making up lineages, I mean why? Baul is not your family, what is the purpose Baul has already been Archived and Preserved decades ago.
Bauls are free birds, they are flexible but that does not mean anything goes. Today Baul is being misrepresented being made out to be about folk songs, smoking ganja, and tantric sex, is this the only topic the new Bauls can use to draw people in, oh yes a new method dread locks and endless twirling if that does not work they will think of something else?
This is not Baul.
If you read about Baul or hear about Baul and this is the first subject and only subject you can know you are hanging with the wrong Bauls or the fake it til you make it grow up.
Baul students really want to be Baul and that is very sweet, however, there is a procedure, a process of long sadhana of many years under a Guru until one is able to represent what being a Baul is.
Teaching, talking about Baul is simple, learning Baul sadhana is arduous. There are at the very least 5,000 songs to memorize as seeds of higher philosophy. There should be some recognition of boundaries, even though a Baul always says they have no boundaries, a Baul must be able to understand the paradox in all things.
A Baul must have a Guru whom they study under for many years if not their whole life, they basically live with this guru every day for years and years, and this Guru should at least be a Baul Guru, a legitimate Baul Guru who teaches the lineage, the history of the Bauls of Bengal not omitting anything, a Guru who is honest and not afraid to tell the truth, this guru should have mastered Indian Philosophy.
Myself I had to stand back for years and do seva to my guru before I went out on my own, and I certainly never called myself legendary, this is the sign of a immature ego.
The goal of Baul is not fame, it is not about writing books, it is not about performing, it is about reaching God and teaching others, to teach you must have reached a certain level of development where you can answer all the questions??
I myself have traveled the world for 40 years representing Baul and my lineage, my dharma, or my duty, it is in my blood, I am a lineage Baul of Bengal from a legendary family of Bauls, but blood aside I am a Baul, I have put in years and years of Sadhana and seva. If you want to help by preserving Baul first learn the history of what you are preserving.
A Baul always has an ocean of deep knowledge, real wisdom, as a Baul you are a Guru not just a performer, you must be able to teach, to argue philosophy, you must be able to provide the knowledge of all things regarding Indian philosophy, and you must be able to help people heal. Bauls are master of energetics, a Baul is never about just a preformer.
Baul is not just about saying a few words, smiling and acting sweet, to be a Baul, the lineage must be active within you, meaning you have spent years learning yoga, tantra, vedanta, Indian philosophy, you should have real life experience, with a level of maturity and some connection to the a real Baul??
You can only make people stupid for a little while. Baul is the most beautiful heart filled divine way of reaching heaven and realizing God/dess within you. It is Indian Bhakti Yoga, originating back to the beginning of the story the Bhagavad Gita.
Sufi Fakir is Sufi Fakir, Sai, Aul, Shah, Dervish is Sufi, Sufi is Sufi are NOT Baul, this one and only lineage is Vaishnava Tantric of Birbhum Bengal the home of Baul.
Baul is always based on Indian Philosophy, Indian scriptures transmitted orally through the ages and distilled into simple songs in Bengali for the rural Bengali's who lived in the village.
Bauls do sadhana they are yogi's, mantra, japa, nada yoga, pranayama, yoga, and they are accomplished tantric musicians who know the technique to awaken their intended deity, they are magic bringers, they make magic happen, Bauls know the technique to awaken the forces of nature and the divine the heart of everyone.
Bauls are not just regular singer and dancers. Just as a master of the Sitar who is accomplished knows the technique which awakens the divine that will fill the room with the perfume of a divine bhava, it is the same with the Baul there is a technique, the tantra of Baul awakens the perfume of the Gods and Goddess's, you must have completed your sadhana for this to be alive.
Baul is not about just singing a song, or sitting around chanting a mantra in a group, as a Baul you must have mastered the tantra of Baul or have the siddhi of Baul. Baul is not just about shouting out a song and swinging in a circle, there is a technique, a Tantra a Baul sings from the heart.
A Baul is a soul singer not a shouter and I can tell because I am a master of Baul, classical, folk and Bollywood I can hear who is singing what? Most new Bauls are singing folk songs, and to my surprise I have even heard a few sing a bollywood songs, calling it a Baul song??
Baul is always based on Hinduism, Vaishnavism, Indian Tantra, Shakti Sadhana,Indian philosophy, and Yoga. Parts of Sufi and Buddhism naturally and automatically flowed into the Baul philosophy and sadhana just as they automatically entered into Bengal. However it is important to remember Baul is not based in Sufi or Buddhism.
Bauls never take anything, they are givers, Baul is about giving pearls of wisdom, giving information, they are Guru's and are the biggest healers and peacemakers.
They are God intoxicated Mystics. Bauls wander from village to village they were the early moring wake up call, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna they would be singing early in the morning to a morning raga.
The Ektara is their symbol of peace and unity, one string, unity between all people alls caste creeds or colour.
Bauls accept all who were rejected, a Bauls loves everybody, is respectful of everybody, they helped people grind themselves to be lovers of the divine.
Baul originated way before Sufi or Buddhism.
Bauls are ancient, they are a mystical path to reach God, they grind the rasa, the juice of the heart to wake up. Krishna and Radha live in the hearts of the lineage Bauls.
If you read Bauls who mention Bob Dylan, Woodstock, The Beatles, Allen Ginsberg, or Rabindranath Tagore, The Rolling Stones regarding Baul, they can only be talking about my family.
However, I am finding Bauls throwing these names around like they were the people who met these people, they are using those names as a marketing tool, they do not even know or purposely leave out the names of Purna Das Baul or Nabani Das Baul, the lineage Bauls who brought Baul to the world, the Bauls who had a relationships with these people, are either myself personally or my family, mostly me.
For that matter any association from outside of Birbhum to the world came through Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, or my father or myself, and has only come through our family.
The new Bauls are singing songs from this lineage and they do not acknowledge who wrote the songs, where did the songs come from, and please do not shorten the songs, these songs are seed songs of higher philosophy.
These new Bauls are taking all the credit, selling themselves on our stories, our songs they do not mention anything about the lineage or the people who have walked before them.
We have been running around the world, dedicating our lives to sadhana, making a platform for these Bauls and yet they are using our life stories, our lineage and they do not even mention the legendary Nabani Das Baul and his family, which by the way is quite large.
This lineage is based on Guru, there should be respect, if there is no respect then one has not learned the first lesson of being a Baul.
The Baul students today like to be Baul, they hang out with a some Bauls, they call their Guru’s respected, that is all fine, but that also does not constitute what a Baul is.. It is not easy to be a Baul and certainly taking pictures of oneself with Bauls and dressing like a Baul, copying my father, does not constitute being a Baul.
Promoting yourself in magazines, websites, changing the story day by day does not mean you are a Baul. Baul songs are not folk songs, sadhana is Baul.
The maturity of this sadhana must show. Everybody is messing up what Baul is, changing the story, watering down the songs to make them easier to sing.
Western Bauls are not Bauls, they have no association with the Bauls of Bengal, even their Guru’s, guru was not a Baul.
One of the first tenants of Baul is having respect and by using Baul as a way to create something for yourself is not about respect or respect for the Baul.
Another thing I have noticed is UNESCO awarded a high level Bangladeshi official with the United Nations some millions of dollars to preserve Bauls in Bangladesh by convincing them Baul is about Sufi. Baul is not just about being a play write or poet as in Lalon Fakir who yes can be a Baul but he is not the whole history of Baul.
Bauls were around thousands of years before Lalon Fakir they are poets, philosophers, musicians, they are everything to do with Yoga, Tantra, and Indian spirituality, they are about experiencing life in this human body, the body as the temple, divinity is within.
This Bangladeshi official talks about how Baul is only about Lalon Fakir and the word Baul is muslim word, it is not. I myself have dedicated the better part of my life working tirelessly preserving Baul and have watched my family work tirelessly preserving Baul all around the world.
Now I see the Bangladeshi's saying they are Baul by mostly singing folk songs. Baul songs are not folk songs.
All the above Music composed, produced, recorded, arranged and promoted by Babu Kishan.
All of lives we have brought Baul out of the village it is surprising to me that even back in the 70's when I started to tour outside of India it was very rare to see an Indian let alone a Bangladeshi who knew about Bauls, even when we traveled to Bangladesh trying to help preserve Lalon Fakir songs, there were no Bauls in Bangladesh, there were a few and they were not singing Baul songs they were singing Bangladeshi folk songs and I brought them to Kolkata and had them recorded.
Being Baul now all of a sudden I see Bangladeshi folk singers holding the ektara up high, but singing folk songs and becoming Baul and we are proud that they are embracing Baul, this is a very new thing.
Shri Nityananda of Ekchhaka is my ancestor, his son Birbandra Das Gosia is also part of my lineage, along with Advaita Gosia, Kheppa Chand Gosia, Okura Gosai, Triguna Dasi, Chakradhar Das, Anapurna Dasi, Narottama Das, Chandi Das, Rasaraj Gosai, Sri Nabani Das Baul, Radharani Dasi Bau, Gopal Das Baul, or Sri Purna Das Baul, Manju Das Baul to name only a few are legendary Bauls.
Now I see young people who are calling themselves legendary.
My mother Manju Das Baul traveled around the world over and over since 1962, she played on some of the biggest stages of the world including the Royal Albert Hall in London, Carnagie Hall in New York, Nitaji Indoor stadium in Kolkata, and she never once called herself legendary.
My grandmother Brajabala Dasi and Aunt Radharani, and many more who are born and raised into the Baul way of life never once called themselves legendary.
What is going on…? I know there are many Baul women who are not getting a chance, Baul women tend to be shy, they are not aggressive.
I am going to make it my mission to promote these authentic Baul women, they need my help now. The stories are encoded in our songs, Gosai Das Baul. I have read the writings of modern day Vaishnava reformers it is all wrong, all I see is cut and paste, the stories are so far fetched and they believe this to be truth because their Guru said, there is no basis for over half of the stories, no where in Bengal have we ever heard these made up stories.
The first Dotara played by a Baul was introduced by Gopal Das Baul in the early 1940's he was the husband of my aunt Radharani Dasi Baul (Radharani Dasi was the biggest most famous Baul women ever.) Gopal Das Baul was a disciple of my grandfather Nabani Das Baul.
Nabani asked what Gopal wanted because as he was such a wonderful student. Gopal said, "I want to marry your daughter, Radharani Dasi allow me to be part of your family and take care of Radharani all my life".
Gopal Das Baul was pure and true Vaishnava, a true sadhak. I am proud to say Radharani Dasi was the first official Baul to record for all India Radio.
The movie Raikamal was about Radharani's life, wrote by one of Bengali's top writers, Tara Shankar. In 1985 a movie called 'Togori' was also made about Radharani's life.
Radharani's husband Gopal Das was the son of the Ekchakra Nityananda Temple, I remember Gopal Das Baul as the greatest sweet maker, and I love him lots.
I have noticed there is one new young women baul performer who has completely copied my aunt Radharani's dress from the movie Togori, which is fine. However, I created that style of dress as in costume design for a movie.
I personally designed it for the movie, my Aunt Radharani did not actually dress that way nor did any other Baul women?
Purna Das Baul is the only real Baul to wear Nupur anklets around his ankles, no other Baul has worn them before him except Nabani Das Khyapa Baul as he is the one who started to dance that particular style. Bauls wear ankle bells around their ankles, most people do not know this, Bauls follow whatever Baul Samarat Purna Das Baul has done or for that matter whatever our lineage has done.. songs, dress, ect...
Rabindranath Tagore started the Pous Mela in honour of my grandfather Shri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. Rabindranath created this festival to bring all the poets of the world together and to preserve Bengali culture in Shantiniketan, he named the bridge, Nabani Setu after my Grandfather Sri Nabani Das Baul as he was the first Baul to be introduced through the Pous Mela, he opened the door for other Bauls at the Pous Mela.
Nabani Das Baul was the biggest attraction for the Joy Dev Mela, Rabindranath said to Nabani Das you go to the Joy Dev Mela why not start a Mela here in Shantinekatan to bring together all the poets and storytellers around the world. He thought Nabani Das would be the biggest attraction for everybody.
Rabindranath photographed Nabani Das Baul and you can even view these photographs in the Royal British Museum in London. He created a meditation spot for Nabani Das just opposite the glass room in Shantiniketan.
It was the American Poet Allen Ginsberg who met Nabani Das Baul in the early 60’s, Ginsberg called Nabani Das his Guru and the 8th wonder of the world, although Nabani didn't want to be Allen’s guru, he wrote about Sri Nabani Das Baul in the
New York times, Nabani preference was to remain anonymous(but way before Allen Ginsberg some people did record and wrote about nabani das baul in europe,Japan).
Allen Ginsberg suggested that Nabani Das Baul come toWoodstock, Nabani Das Baul could not go or perhaps he would not go, as he was not well, he sent his son’s, Purna Das Baul and Luxman Das Baul to Woodstock, this was the beginning of this families legendary association with Bob Dylan.
You can see Purna Das Baul and Luxman Das Baul on the cover of Bob Dylans, ‘John Westly Harding’ album. This was the first time any Baul had come to North America, Purna Das had already traveled to Russia and all over India. I have been traveling for over 50 years around the world, with my father and mother at first, and then by myself, continuous traveling, promoting Baul, lecturing about Baul.
It is not easy to do because most people have short attention spans. It is easy for the new Baul singers to change the story, to make up their own story and undue any of the work I have done??? I never see them even mention Nabani Das Baul ?
As i said they sing the songs composed by my grandfather, my family and never mention who composed the song, you should at least know this, don't you think??
Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was already famous through his ecstatic Baul sadhana and divine ecstatic singing that would propel even a casual passerby into the bhava divine blissful God intoxication.
This is what a lineage is, this is what Baul singing is about, it is not about singing a song, or a folk song it is about awakening a lifetimes worth of meditation, the result of Yoga and the Rasa Lila dance between Radha, Krishna, and the Gopi’s.
The Lineage Bauls is Brahmin, however, they rejected the orthodox Vaishnava rules and regulations, the lineage is that of Gosia Das Baul"
They wanted to become free birds, natural, spontaneous, they are naturally raganuga bhakti. Bauls have always been know as spontaneous mad men and women who erupt like a volcano of love into pure ecstasy because of the divine love between Radha and Krishna.
For the lineage Bauls this is not something they have to learn it flows through their lineage, they laugh spontaneously, they cry sponaneously, they move spontaneously.
Bauls include and accept all people, all castes, and creeds. There is one thing you must understand Baul does not mean anything goes, you must be human first and the best human you can be, refining our human nature first.
One needs to use and develop and intellect, know how to cooperate with the universe,this is implied one must understand Indian philosophy, the rules of Yoga, Ayurveda ect...
One of the first steps in doing Baul Sadhana, is purification through breath control or pranayama, we call Vayu Dharma. The term Baul is a Sanskrit word, Vaul, B and V are interchanged when interpreting Sanskrit into English.. ie) you may see Brindavan also spelled Vrindivan. Baul = Vaul=Ba tula= Vayu Tula= vital air to lift up.
To lift up the vital airs. Baa ool is the easiest way to pronounce Baul for a westerner. Yes Bauls are ecstatic, mystical, mad, crazy, with love, in the bhava of love, they are moody, and only concerned about one thing, divine love.
Everybody talks about their own religion, their own spirituality, Sufi talks about Sufi, Budhism talks about Buddhism, Vaishnava talks about Vaishnavism, Christianity talks about themselves, all talking about their own saying, this is the way, we are the way.
Baul talks about everybody, embraces everybody saying all are the way, accept all, what is important is inside of you, turn around and look within God lives inside of you.
Thus Sadhana is the most essential element of being a Baul and by stating this it does not mean one should give up their intellect. Being a Baul is about developing your intellect, being a philosopher, not following blindly.
Baul is most certainly about experence, that is one of the reasons they wander to gain experience in life. They have family, children, and because we are in 2011 it means education, to be in the world and not of the world.
For Bauls to survive in this rapidly changing world it is my belief that they need a modern education, everything is changing at such a rapid rate, the real Bauls are struggling.
Before the Pous Mela there were lots of Baul Festivals, places where Bauls gathered and they used to exchange, meeting talking about their sadhana, philosophy, music, dance and deep connections through their poetry in Birbhum's Jaydev Mela, Kankali Tala, Tarapith, Mama Bhaghne, PathorChapri, Bakreshwar, Nadia, Murshidabad, Purilia, Nabani Das was always present in all of these festivals. Shri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was covered West Bengal's best news magazine 'Desh".
Longtime on Pous Mela's Booklet, Jaydev Mela's Booklet, and in so many West Bengal's news papers and magazine then in some International news papers and magazines way before anyone ever knew anything about Bauls, he was the first.
He was the first Baul who's pictures are at London Museum, there were books on him, Films on him. He was the first and last Baul Teacher at Rabindranath Tagore's University 'Viswa Bharti'. Nabani Das Baul was India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's Music, Dance and philosiphy teacher at Viswa Bharti, that is how he had come to Know Jawharlal Nehru.
Later Jawharlal invited Nabani Das Baul to perfom Baul song and dance in Delhi, Kolkata, Rajasthan, and that is how the first Baul came from village to city.
Nabani Das Baul was a Sanskrit Scholar as well as a Tantric sadhak a followership of Kali & Krishna, he was a very accomplished Kali Sadhaka at Tarapith, yes you could say legendary, he was initiated by Bhama Khepa.
All modern Bauls sing Nabani Das Baul songs, all written by him, seeds of his Sadhana and they do not acknowledge this. The worst most disrespectful action is when a New Baul singer, uses the songs of this lineage, does not say who sings the songs or writes another persons name on the song. Baul used to always include the name of the poet, and if not it was a lineage Baul singing. There is only one lineage of Baul and to make up lineages is a big flag of a fake Baul. Copying everything from this lineage, taking the name off and adding their own or even worse is a generic, oh Bauls do not care. Today now that Bauls are extinct, this lineage cares, they care about their ancestors. You do not because you have different ancestors.
Indian father of Film writer and director Satyajit Ray was also inspired by Nabani Das Baul, so was Ritwik Ghatok, Mrinal Sen, Tarun Mazumder and many more Film personalities inspired were also inspired by my grandfather, my guru Nabani Das Baul. Rabindranath Tagore was inspired by him, in his compositions like 'Dekhechhi roop sagore' to'Amare paraye paraye khepiye berai' and 'Hari naam diye jagot' to 'jodi tor dak sune kei'.
My dad Purna Das Baul now 88 years of age was the Superstar of Bauls and King or Samarat of the Bauls of Bengal, he recieved the title Baul Samarat form the President of India.
Purna Das Baul completely changed the era of Baul. Sri Purna Das Baul is a Padma Shree.
Bauls follow him, they dress like him, they sing his songs from our lineage. He completely helped the Bauls to become performing artists, now you can find them on every stage around the world.
Where you see a Baul performing around the world, no matter who it is, it is because of Purna Das Baul and our family paved the way for this beautiful art form and we are the first to share Baul with the world.
What bauls are doing today the ones that are traveling the world is only due my leg work promoting Baul from village to famous music record labels, film, television, books, news papers, magazines, performing from every lane to International stages, festivals, universities.
I can honestly say because I am a Baul and a Classical, Folk and Bollywood music master, that Purna Das Baul is the best Baul singer, nobody can even come close to him as a Baul singer. As a Baul he is an ocean in his Baul knowledge, in his style of Classic Baul singing he has performed on the world biggest stages in front of millions of people he is like a ocean, every Baul wants to follow our lineage in sound and style.
My father and uncle brought along and introduced many Bauls to the stage he took many of them overseas with him including, his brother Laxshman Das Baul, Sudhananda, Subal Das Baul, Sanatan Das Baul, Gostogopal Das, Praladhbramcharya, Bhakti Das Baul, Viswanath das Baul, Devdas Baul, Dinobandhu Das Baul, Jiban Das Baul, Hari Krishna Das Baul.
Purna Das Baul introduced these Bauls and he had a very hard time controlling many of them, as many of them did things he did not approve of out of the country or they started to say I am this I am that.
Baul was never about women, ganja, it is about control, and sadhana.
I myself introduced many people to Baul, and almost 90% of the new comer Baul singers I have introduced to the stage, through many of the Baul melas that I personally organized in West Bengal
We did fundraising for Iskcon, the Ramakrishna mission, temples, groups, people who were going to help us promote the Bauls only to find they were promoting themselves.
We wanted people to stop using the Bauls, and figured the Bauls were worth more than to just to be a fundraiser for everyone. We now need to do our own fundraising to preserve this tradition.
I have created the BHAVA Project (Baul Historical Ashram and Vedic Academy) and Performing Arts, under a Foundation named the Ektara Foundation to preserve my ancient oral living lineage and to create a bridge to inspire young people. Sometimes people see me as having left Baul, and gone to Bollywood.
I never ever left Baul or my sadhana, my sadhana is strong, it is a part of my life.
I have gathered valuable life experience and am now able to do more for the Bauls. We live in different times, we need to keep the original but times have changed, how can we keep the original in this changing world.
The world will not stop so perhaps we need to adapt, to look at our young generation and think how do I get these talented young people interesting in Baul way and also do something for them on the world stage?
Purna Das Baul and his family introduced Sally Grossman, Charles Capwell from Chicago University, Professor Edward Dimock, Deben Battacharya, Carol Solomon to Baul and gave unlimited information about what being a Baul is and we are happy that they helped promote the Bauls of Bengal.
It is our family of Bauls who introduced Baul to all festivals and universities around the world.. We did all the leg work, talking, promoting, preserving, it is always so easy for others who come after to be critical but you know what no would even know who the Bauls are without our family.
I know how much work was involved, I know I gave up many years of my life to serve my parents, I know how much work my mom Manju Das did. I worked day and night to make all of this happen.
My dad won a first Gold medal as Baul in Rajasthan in the 50's, then another in the Russian Youth Festival in the early 60’s. He is the first official to Baul start to start his journey with All India Radio permanently as A Grade Artist.
His his father Nabani Das Baul was first, but he was not permanent, because he was a God intoxicated, wild, mad, sadhu Baul he never stayed in one place for very long, constantly moving, that is why after I was born he carried me everywhere with him. After Radio my dad recorded with the Hindusthan Record Company, along with his father Nabani Das Das and his daughter Radharani Dasi Baul.
My aunt Radharani Dasi was the first woman Baul and believe me she was nothing like the female Baul singers today shouting out songs, she was completely a deep spiritual soul singer, one must remember my ears are so trained, I am a composer, I can hear what is Baul and what is not Baul.
The record Company's owner contracted my dad every year, and one album after one album he became a super star. I composed all of the music for my dad and mom, and did all the promotion ect.. I worked day and night like a good little servant eldest son.
All Below Albums produced, composed, recorded and promoted with all top labels by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das, these are only a few of the Baul albums from decades ago.
The Biggest question for the Bauls is, What is next?
This is the big questions for the History of the Bauls of Bengal . Which way will the Bauls of Bengal go, the lineage of Bauls, it looks to me like they are becoming distorted, a watered down version, they are becoming whatever any new age Baul singer wants to say, I am this, I am that, who is to blame?
The authentic Baul Sadhana’s will be lost forever, I already hear all sorts of Bauls singing folk songs, and only sufi songs, calling them Baul something it is not and never was meant to be, Baul is Vaishnava and Tantric all in one.
The World is changing so fast, generations of young people do not even know Baul history how Nabani Das Khyapa Baul's name was in all the Intellectual circles and they all associated with his all the famous poets, politicians, painters.
Film Makers, Sadhus, Yogis, Tantrics, and Great Film makers such as Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatok, Tarun MazumderJamini, Bimal Roy, Ajit Ganguly they were all inspired by their favourite Nabani Das Baul.
Whoever met Rabindranath Tagore, used to say Khyapa Nabani Das Baul including Shanti Dev Ghosh was the last original authentic Baul, now today what I see I almost want to weep, at the lack of Baul history, how everybody is saying they are legendary, I am not sure these new Baul really know what it is to be a Baul.
However, I do have hope that they can be trained authentically and my dream is to create a Baul ashram to do just that to preserve my lineage, to tell the stories as they should be told, to help the Bauls remain on the world stage with their heads held high.
I realize I have to come back to Bengal to make this happen, is it possible, will the Bengal people support Baul, a major part of Bengali Culture or are the Baul a thing of the past, now just to be a tourist attraction?
I want to create a legacy for the Bauls of Bengal, a place for them to do sahana, for all the new Bauls to learn the history of Baul. To be a Baul is an honour now is the time the world needs to learn about these gentle peace keepers, the way of the Baul perhaps is the way of a new world full of peace, acceptance, and divine love, including all, helping all.
Sandhya received a contract from government of India to tour allover India to entertain Indian Army Troops performing with a group, however, there a problem was she didn't know any Bengali folk and Baul music, the troops were not interested in Classical Indian music.
Sandhya aka (Manju Dasi Baul )needed to be trained in folk music and preferably Baul music she searched and found a folk teacher but she could not find anybody to teach her Baul songs. The Government found her a new teacher who was already a famous Baul who was from Birbhum but was living in Kolkata, that happened to be Purna Das Baul. She met the Baul at All India Radio and learnt a couple of Baul songs.
After she came back from a tour, her life completely changed. She found something much interesting in Baul music than anything else. She fell in love not only Baul music but with that extraordinary Baul and married him, changed her life style from regular woman to Baulini and Sandhya became the famous Baulini Manju Das Baul,who was the first official woman Baul in World's history to travel the world at a very young age, she was not only a Baul but an educated women with a BA in India classical music, a really devoted wife and sadhika.
There are many interesting stories about my mother, famous people she met, a extraordinary life she lived. Manju Das Baul is the first Baul to ever use the Harmonium.
One story that my mother Manju Das Baul told me about her father Jogesh Das who was triple MA with a Masters degrees in Bengali, English and Sanskrit, he was a professor at Dhaka University, in what today is called Bangladesh.
It was February 21, 1952 when Pakistan initiated Urdu as the official language. Jogesh Das being a linguist and a professor of Bengali, English, and Sanskrit he was persecuted along with his family, they were forced out of East Bengal now know as Bangladesh, their house, land and everything they owned were stolen, their relatives were tortured and Jogesh's brothers were beheaded all because they were not Muslim and did not speak Urdu, they were ancestors to this land but because they were Hindu they had to leave or all meet death.
Thus this is how they became refugees in Kolkata living in a refugee camp called Jadavpur. Today in Bangladesh Unesco has declared 21 February as "International Mother Language Day around the world.
Jogesh Dash obtained a job as a temporary Sanskrit lecturer at Kolkata University, he met a man names Abhay and became good friends with this man he met at Tollygunge who later became a modern spiritual leader of Iskcon. His name was Abhay Charan Dey who later became known as Srila Prabhupada of Iskcon.
How interesting Mr. Abhay knew both my grandfathers well, and Nabani Das Baul's ancestory being that of Sri Nityananda he also knew that Das and Dasi were names in our lineage.
Our lineage was always considered part of the Gaudiya Math lineage, very interesting how life unfolds, and how stories are changed? In our family we have many stories of Bhaktivedanta Prabupada.
The stories I learned in Bengal and what was passed onto me by my lineage are totally different stories from the stories I am seeing written today by the modern Vaishnava outside of Bengal and now within Bengal?
Srila Prabupada invited my dad Purna Das Baul to sing for him in India, London and America, come sing for Krishna help raise money in Krishna's honour.
Over time we realized that they actually were putting the Bauls down behind their backs, taking their names, changing the story, and not mentioning the Bauls, taking things from their lineage and double talking behind their backs, even calling the Gaudiya Math back in India wrong?? To be cont'd in full context at a later date.
Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, born in Suri, Birbhum, West Bengal into the lap of Sri Nabani Das Kyappa Baul and Brajobala Dasi, his grandparents, he lived a lucid life in the highest of spiritual energy, he was initiated by all of the Saints, Sadhu's, Siddha's, Guru's, Yogi's, Tantrics, Nath's, Avadhuta's, that lived during the 60's, & 70's,80's, 90's, onward.
His grandfather was an accomplished tantric, Avadhuta, Baul Saint. Babu was Bala Krishna to Sri Nabani Das Baul, he took Babu everywhere with him. Babu is the first Baul to be educated in the oral tradition, and outside of the oral tradition .
"BA Indian Philosophy, MA Indian Music," he is a "Sanskrit Vedic Tantric Baul Scholar Mystic."
12 years as a Vedic Monk at the Ramakrishna Mission in Narendrapur, Kolkata. 30 years in Bollywood as a music composer, and film maker.
Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul is a Master of Baul songs and Baul Sadhana, Indian Folk music, Indian Class
ical, and Bollywood music.
He has produced, promoted, composed for all the top Bollywood India musican's and singers. He is the first Baul to compose Fusion Music, get a modern education, the first Baul to live in North America.
As a Music Director, Composer, for Indian Cinema for 30 years, he has composed over 150 scores, produced 44 albums.
A prolific writer, poet, and author of 3 books on Baul. He has been traveling the world promoting, teaching Lineage Baul for more than 50 years.
© copyright all rights reserved 2011- 2030
by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul and Trishula Sandra Das
Babu Kishan, he is a lineage Baul, and a Baul Scholar preserving his Ancient Oral Living Lineage.
https://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/2021/01/copy-right-2020-2040-no-poaching.html
© copyright all rights reserved 2011 - 2030
by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul and his wife Trishula Sandra Das
Babu Kishan lives in Vancouver, B.C. Canada and Mumbai India, he is a Baul scholar preserving his Ancient Oral living Lineage in it proper context and has preserved it decades ago.
Rasa Lila Mystic
floating, dancing, the Rasa Lila dance of love
Hari Bol.
http://lineagebaul.blogspot.com/
Bob Dylan and Babu's father Purna Das Baul, his uncle Lakshman Das Baul, taken at legendary first Woodstock in 1969. They spent about 2 months jamming together.. Cover of John Westley Harding
In 1985 there was a Bengali Movie called Tagori, it was Babu's story of his aunt Radharani Dasi Baul...a famous, magical Baulini women, she had a beautiful voice, magical voice, pure heaven on earth.. these women do not shout out their songs, or sing folk songs.
These women have been part of this lineage for thousands of years, and their story needs to be told. His mother Manju Das was probably the most famous legendary Baul women to travel the world endlessly since 1962. I am busy writing the story of these women.
Manju Das Baul passed away in Feb 2010.
Part 2
Baul Saint Sri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul, Poet, Philosopher, Lineage Baul of Bengal.
Bauls do not care for rules and regulations of the orthodox religions they are freedom (moksha) liberation seekers. They are ardent Bhakti Yogi’s, sadhaka’s. Bauls were the newspaper before the printed newspaper with a twist they are spiritual Guru’s, and spiritual messengers of the eternal truths of India. Bauls believe in humanity, they do not negate the body, however this does not mean the body is the main focus of their sadhana, the main focus is the soul. Bauls believe in the soul, they always say, ask your soul, they do not say ask your body or ask your mind. Bauls are soul singers, they believe that we reach liberation through the soul. To them we are all divine gifts and our bodies are our temples, music is the path, actually you could call them Yogi sound healers of the soul.
The divine in the form of Radha and Krishna reside in the soul located in the alter of the heart within the human body. This is where the rasa lila dance takes place. The ekatara or Gopi Chand a one stringed musical instrument is the Bauls symbol of unity and peace. Bauls are lovers of Hari, lovers of the divine, ecstatic mystical lovers, they are honey bees gathering the rasa (juice) grinding this juice into the pure love. Thus they are known as mystical honey catchers.
The first Baul to wander far from the streets of Bengal was Purna Das Baul. As a young lad he pioneered Baul singing on the trains in British India at the tender age of 7 or 8, which eventually led him to all of India, Russia, America to Woodstock and just about every country in the World many times over for the past 60 years. Purna Das Chandra Baul the only Legendary Baul and Baul Samrat (king of the Bauls) he is Babukishan's father.
Times were very difficult for the Bauls in the villiage when Purna Chandra Das was growing up, being the eldest son he wanted to help his mother Brajabala Dasi because in the early years his father was wandering India thus Purna Das Baul started singing on the trains for rupee's. In the past the Bauls would travel from village to village singing the Hare Krishna mahamantra, and singing their songs of the teaching of Indian Philosophy and humanity, they were offered Dakshina as one would pay for a spiritual newspaper of magazine, they enlightened the people.
Purna Das Baul brought Baul to the world and Babukishan, did all of the leg work organizing the tours, making contacts for performances at theatre halls, univerisities, radio, television and festivals around the world. They preformed concerts at the Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York opening doors for all Bauls to follow, they created history all credit goes to them and their lineage as pioneering Bauls of Bengal,India.
Rabindranath Tagore started the Pous Mela in honour of Babukishan's grandfather Baul Saint Shri Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. Rabindranath created this festival to bring all the poets of the world together and to preserve Bengali culture in Shantiniketan, he named the bridge at the Pous Mela, Nabani Setu (Bridge on Ajoy River,Birbhum,West Bengal) after Sri Nabani Das Baul as he was the first Baul to be introduced through the Pous Mela (Poetry & Baul Festival), he opened the door for other Bauls at the Pous Mela before Nabani Das Baul the Pous Mela did not exist.
BaulSaint Nabani Das Baul was the biggest attraction for the JaiDev Mela, Rabindranath said, "Nabani Das you always go to the Joy Dev Mela why not start a Mela here in Shantinekatan, Bolpur to bring together all the poets and storytellers (Bauls are Storyteller) around the world." Rabindranath knew Nabani Das Baul would be the biggest attraction for everybody. Nabani Das Baul was not any regular Baul he was a Saint, millions of people all over India would come to see him.
Babu was blessed as he was born into Nabani's care for the first 8 years of his life, Nabani named Babu, Krishnendu healed his crooked limbs and carried him around India giving him darshan with the most important spiritual Guru's that were alive in the 60's. To Nabani Das Babu was his Bala Krishna he was addicted to his little Krishna Das.
Rabindranath photographed Nabani Das Baul and you can even view these photographs in the Royal British Museum in London and many of reputed Magazine's Covers. He created a meditation spot for Nabani Das just opposite his glass room in Shantiniketan. He instaled a Statute dedicated to Nabani Das Khyappa Baul.
The statue was sculptured by world renowned Ramkinkar Baije. Rabindranath Tagore named Nabani Das "Khyappa" Baul there were no Bauls before him named "Khyappa" now we have Bauls called themselves Khyappa all the time, but it really was a name meant only for my grandfather. Our lineage is that of Das and Dasi and any Bauls using this title are in some way related to our lineage.
Many eminent painting and drawing were done of Nabani Das Khyappa Baul by renowned Bengal painters who were also Nabani Das's friends, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy, M.F.Hussain and many more.
It was the American Poet Allen Ginsberg who met Baul Saint Nabani Das Baul in the early 60’s, Ginsberg called Nabani Das his Guru and the 8th wonder of the world, although Nabani didn't want to be Allen’s guru, he wrote about Sri Nabani Das Baul in the New York times, Nabani preference was to remain anonymous (before Allen Ginsberg some people did record and write about Nabani Das Baul in Europe and Japan).
Lineage Bauls were at the legendary first Woodstock in 1969 in New York thanks, to Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan's manager Albert B Grossman. You will hear of Ravi Shankar and Swami SatChidAnanda but for some reason Purna Das Baul and his younger brother Laxman Das Baul are not remembered perhaps because they never stayed in the USA. Purna Das Baul can be seen on the cover of Bob Dylan's album, "John Westly Harding" the photo originates from 60's Woodstock.
"Baul of Bengal, I sing for all, Blue Danube is Jumuna, Hudson is my Vrindavan, see me in Kolkata, Toronto, London, Hear my call Baul of Bengal, Same man many names, same player, many games, Love is magic to win at life...Hear my call O Baul of Bengal."
Allen Ginsberg’s Guru being Babu’s Grandfather Nabani Das Khyappa Baul wrote this poetry for Babukishan Das Baul and dedicating it to Nabani Das. Babukishan composed in collaboration with Garth Hudson, Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, and his parents, this music for the their tour with Bob Dylan and The Band in 1985. They toured all over American in the East to West Tour with Bob Dylan.
Babu and his family played on stage in London for Rolling Stone’s concerts, fundraisers for Bangladesh Flood victims. They played in the Indian Music section in 1971, 1972, and 1978 in Hyde Park in front of thousands of people along with Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, The Beattles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones.
The Rolling Stones produced an Album called Jai Bangla, Babu along with his family spent a week at Mick Jagger’s mansion in Nice France while Purna Das Baul was recorded on this album. This was the beginning of a long relationship between the Rolling Stones and Babu he last saw the Rolling Stones in 2004 Mumbai.
Anybody inside of or coming out of Bengal knows of the Legendary Classic Baul Purna Chandra Das Baul, millions of people would come out to see him sing from all over India.
He is the first and only Baul to have priviate security from the Government of India because of his popularity and fame with millions of people surrounding him. The Bauls have always followed him, they dress the way he dresses, act like he acts.
This fame created much jealousy among some the new Baul singers who came from Bangladesh, and the Bauls who also wanted to take Baul as a profession.
At the JaiDev Mela in the 70's the jealousy among the Baul delivered a blow when they poisoned Purna Das Baul, he came very close to death. It is interesting to Babu to listen to the new Baul singing the songs of his lineage never acknowledging the lineage, singing songs or poetry written by his ancestors without acknowledging the poets.
Wikipedia is completely wrong on the subject of Baul.
This is about preserving Baul an ancient lineage that has been around for thousands of years, it is not about making up a lineage by new Baul singers, who are trying to develop a singing career or people who just want to travel the world under the Baul persona and name.
The pioneers who brought Baul outside of India are this lineage Baul family, Sri Nabani Das Baul, Purna Das Baul, his wife the late Manju Das, their eldest son Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, for more than 60 years.
Baul kirtan is kirtan of Krishna, and Radha, Shiva and Kali, devotional songs on everything relating to Indian spirituality and Yoga. The kirtan’s would go on for days, weeks at a time, one did not stop for a break, or break the kirtan.
The Baul whirls and twirls and takes their audience to another place where the heart becomes the soul, where one will be drunk with the divine finest wine of pure love. For the soul there are no words to describe the blessing of this lineage called “satchitananda.” Magical, Mystical Philosophical, Poetic, Mysterious, God intoxicated Baul of Bengal they sing for all.
OM ANANDA LAHARI, Jai Guru, Jai Nitai, Jai Maa, Hari Bol, Hare Krishna
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare || Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
Long time old friends, all other Bauls follow Babu around, they even go where he goes and track down the people he has known for decades.