No poaching, name dropping, or copying anything on this page or blog. Copyright all rights reserved by Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das. please talk to Babukishanproductions@gmail.com
Baul is not a free for all, it is a indigenous lineage, that is extinct and was preserved by Babu Kishan since the 1960's, his research, songs, lineage should only be self-determined by a indigenous Baul. Not by western scholars, not by fake Bauls who use Baul, not by outsiders.
Wikipedia and all scholarly written dictionary definitions on Baul are wrong. They are a white washed version written by scholars who have 'copied and pasted' from book to book, in which the books they copied from already had wrong definitions and descriptions of who and what the Bauls are?
Scholars pat themselves on their backs for defining and self-determining an indigenous ancient ancestry. Scholars, Journalists, book writers are taking the self-determination who Baul is out of the hands of the Bauls? Only a Baul from an authentic indigenous lineage can self-determine who Baul is? they are the ones who own Baul, they have preserved Baul for thousands of years?
Whoever, started this Baul is umbrella term is a colonialist, not an authentic Baul.
Baul as a category unto themselves needs protection from outsiders making up more stories. Scholars are never the true authority on any indigenous peoples, you take and then tell them who they are?
Only someone who has preserved all of Baul for 6 decades has a right to speak about their indigenous tradition. Not a fake Baul and their social media marketing master who cherry picks and steals information from our lineage Baul blog, or from our websites? We see who is reading our material, stop using our intellectual property, name dropping as if you know. Stop making up stories that there are 20,000 Baul left, Baul is extinct and you have watered down and used enough. Do not name drop or tell our stories and use what we have written, without our permission. Everything has been copyrighted. This has been an ongoing problem since BabuKishan.com the first Baul website was created in the 1990’s, all poached, copied, with no credit given, names take off and stories reworked as if they are the ones?
Think how you would feel, if a Baul defined who you are as a scholar? This is what we are going to do, take no offence, we are only self determining your future as a scholar? Bauls are not monkeys in your zoo to be scientifically examined, they are marginalized and you should not take advantage of them or their name Baul?
Yes, of course we will tell you how it feels, we will be honest and tell you the damage and karma you are creating by your scientific false narratives through this book as we have on lineagebaul.blogspot.com.
The voice of Baul should only come from Baul, not from outsiders, who attribute their research on ethnographic lines for experimentation.
The voice of Baul, and Baul as a self-determining indigenous people say 100% Fakir, Sai, Dervish or Muslims (period) is 100% NOT BAUL, and if you keep using this association or term we will push it to the limit, it is a fake false narrative.
"Something is common to all forms of cultural appropriation: all involve outsiders taking some- thing from a culture other than their own. (I will frequently speak of members of a culture as insiders and non-members of a culture as outsiders.) The differences between types of appropriation are, however, crucial in determining whether and how an instance of appropriation is objectionable. By my reckoning, at least five quite different sorts of activity are called cultural appropriation:"
Some other thoughts:
Fair Use As Cultural Appropriation
70 Pages Posted: 20 Nov 2020 Last revised: 20 Aug 2021
Date Written: April 4, 2019
Abstract
Over the last four decades, scholars from diverse disciplines have documented a wide variety of cultural appropriations from Indigenous peoples and the harms these have inflicted.
Copyright law provides at least some protection against appropriations of Indigenous culture—particularly for copyrightable songs, dances, oral histories, and other forms of Indigenous cultural creativity.
But it is admittedly an imperfect fit for combatting cultural appropriation, allowing some publicly beneficial uses of protected works without the consent of the copyright owner under certain exceptions, foremost being copyright’s fair use doctrine.
This article evaluates fair use as a gatekeeping mechanism for unauthorized uses of copyrighted culture, one which empowers courts to sanction or disapprove of cultural appropriations to further copyright’s goal of promoting creative production. "
At least they are thinking cultural appropriation and how does Baul protect themselves, as far as what they have preserved for thousands of years. This is the question, people use Nabani Das Khyapa Baul poetry, boldly copying from a Babu Kishan Youtube video and then recording the song as if you were the one? This may have to be qualified in a court. If you don't know who the poet is, do not assume there is no poet, you just do not know because you are using Baul? Just because you are a scholar does not give you the right to use Baul. Time has changed, enough is enough. We need laws in India so that the intellectual property theft stops. Now Bangladesh is another story, they are masters at the intellectual property theft of Baul.
Baul is never an 'umbrella name' for Fakir or anybody!
Baul only originate in Birbhum W Bengal and are Vaishnava Tantric Sahajiya Vaishnava Bauls, they follow the path of the Avadhut, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and Shakti Sadhana.
Baul and Fakir are 2 completely different sects.
Baul can never be Fakir and Fakir can never be Baul.
Do not (self determine) you have no rights as a scholar to do this! Making false associations because some Fakirs told you they are Baul? What is the proof, we need concrete proof, not someone told you, or someones notes, you are not the authority on Baul and Baul does not need more social engineering. The Bangladeshis have been using Baul for a very long time, it needs to stop, those people are not Baul. The last authentic Baul left this earth in 1969.
This is nothing unusual, to be a Fakir does not bring any attention or funding, but if you add Baul it will bring attention because Baul is still a popular name even today. Bengal's were emotional about the Bauls as their national image and it has been appropriated by the Bangladeshis for fundraising. They get very little attention or funding for Fakir but if you add Baul you will get lost of funding. If one really followed or studied Baul Baul over a long period of time, it would be obvious and Carol Solomon's note hold no water over an indigenous Bauls words. It is unfortunate but you are wrong.
Baul is extinct, do not water down or reduce it further. Fakir is alive and study Fakir. but do not put them under a fake Baul umbrella? Who you are talking to has no relationship with Baul.
Fakir is not Baul.
Know the correct meaning of Baul first because I have read your description and it is inaccurate watered down copy and paste job, it is insane, what gives you the right to talk about any indigenous culture?
How would like me to define scholar: a synergistic group a mixture of English, European cultural twisters and appropriator who create careers off of copy and paste of what other scholars have written, as if it is the truth? and Defining and repeating over and over, what does not belong to them? This is just a start.
You are never the authority on other indigenous or any peoples ancestry, then talking about Bauls as if they are random generic people? I call it social engineering because people copy what you say and write as truth?
Here in North America you would be shut down, in Canada it is not allowed and having outsiders talk or represent any indigenous peoples would be shut down. Somehow in India it is still allowed, there probably is much cultural appropriation of yoga and tantra. The text books have all been written by Europeans and Muslims the real Hindu stories are still not in text books, who creates text books, scholars?
Who are those Fakir you interviewed, are they using Fakir Baul or is that your construct that you inherited from Carol Solomon and are now promoting? What are the Fakirs qualifications regarding Baul? No a made up story, and they may be legit Fakir then it is you who is making this tie with Baul as it comes from Carol Solomon and she is wrong.
You want to make Baul and umbrella name, it is not an umbrella name, stop using this term you are reducing and watering down who Baul is. Perhaps you are using Baul because Fakir on its own is not as popular? Is it if you use the name Baul you will get more attention?
Babu Kishan knew about the scholar's trip over 4 decades ago, he knew them all and tested them, most failed, now we have a reworking again for someones career.
Only a Baul can 'self determine' a authentic Baul and indigenous Bauls, not a self-titled Baul tourist attraction and good luck with that because the real Baul will not talk to you because of all the past destruction through scholars, made up newspaper, magazine and fake famed social media Bauls. Baul is extinct and does not need anymore false made up Fakir Baul tags.
There is no such thing as 'Baul Fakir' or 'Fakir Baul'.
I will explain why as we move through this book.
Some Baul singers try to qualify themselves as Bauls by putting a picture of a fake Baul Guru, a Gosai where the story originally was they 3 days with this Gosai back in 2010, which now increased to 3 years? I keep notes on everything. The first tenant of Baul is tell the truth. Everybody has a trick, some of the social media talented have more tricks than a magician. It is tricky with all the liars and cheaters using Baul.
Keith Cantu who is trying to sway Baul culture by writing about Baul Fakirs, the Bangladeshis will love this because they have been trying for years to appropriate Baul and this lineages stories, they even post pictures of Nabani, probably good for fundraising?
'Baul Fakir' was promoted by Carol Solomon, this was engineered for funding, nobody not even Carol would know about Baul without Babu Kishan.
He taught her about Baul and she twisted Baul to obtain grants. They would not give a grant for a subject that had been written about by so many western scholars. Edward Dimock, Charles Capwell and Glen Hayes had already written books and books associated with this lineage.
Cantu says, he is introducing a new perspective?
Baul is an ancient lineage, it does not need a new perspective, it does not need to be rearranged with more false narratives. Baul only needs accurate preservation by someone who can see through Bengalis and Bangladeshis and knows the difference between Baul and Fakir.
Cantu writes; “I introduce a new perspective on ethnography for the study of Bengali Fakirs (male) and Fakirānis (female) with regard to Yoga and Tantra, as well as their participation in the broader umbrella of the Bauls of Bengal.”
There is no umbrella, I really wish these young scholars would stop using this umbrella term it is degrading. When you say umbrella you water down and reduce Baul you take the Bauls indigenous self-determination right out of their hands.
Babu Kishan has been teaching Ethno-musicology all over Indian since the 1970's. "Ethnomusicology is the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it." most of today's ethnomusicologists were taught by Babu Kishan at one time or another, including Baul and Indian Philosophy.
Babu Kishan has categorized 'all the Folk music of India' for all the big Music companies of India at a young age. My point is he is a linguist and has an ear and can tell who is Baul and who is not by their vernacular dialect, the can tell who is singing what songs and where the songs come from, he can also, tell you who is Baul and who is not, he is the Expert and he will tell you there is NO UMBRELLA and that Fakir is not Baul, they are Fakir and nothing wrong with that.
How can you do any study of Baul or Fakir without understanding the languages and the music, everything you do needs to be qualified by a person who knows, how do we know who you are even talking to, how do we know that the newspaper articles are even accurate most are not? You want to determine who Baul is and all we have is your word?
Do you know what is authentic Baul music and what is Folk music, do you speak all the language necessary. Ethnography means, (the scientific description of the customs of individual peoples and cultures) it is ridiculous to use Baul and put it under a microscope by an outsider who does not even know Baul and yet wants to use Baul as a umbrella term?
Baul does not need to be compared to Fakir or have Fakir attached to the name Baul. If Fakir copies Baul it has nothing to do with Baul. They are separate subjects, they dress differently, they have different customs, one is based on Islam the other is based on Sanatan Dharma. If you truly have studied customs of individual people and cultures, you would not be creating a new social engineering project, or some new speculations or repeating already wrong descriptions copied from previous books written by scholars, journalists and Bangladeshis.
The name ‘Bauls of Bengal’ only came about because Purna Das Baul and Laxshman Das Baul came to America in 1967 and were featured on Bob Dylan’s album, John Westely Harding. Purna Das Baul named his singing group,’The Bauls of Bengal’ the name, “Bauls of Bengal’ is registered in India as their group name, no one used the name Bauls of Bengal before this lineage starting in the 1960's.
The first official Baul album worldwide was named ‘The Bauls of Bengal' released by Electra’ New York in 1968. So when you talk about the Bauls of Bengal, you are talking about a specific group of Baul musicians, you are only talking about this one and only lineage and we do not agree with the term Fakir Baul because we know they are not Baul and this lineage knows who is who.
Seriously a 'new perspective', Baul does not need a new perspective, scholars have done enough harm to this indigenous tradition through false speculation.
Baul is not an umbrella name for Fakir, Aul, Sai, Dervish or Shah; it is not an umbrella term for anybody or any group of wandering people.
Bauls accepted Fakir as they did with all people, Baul did not become Fakir. This is getting old cleaning up all these false narratives. Mixing the name Baul with Fakir is a gimmick propaganda for money collecting and fundraising which has happened in Bangladesh for decades, especially since the 1972 War between India and East Pakistan which created Bangladesh.
Does anybody remember the fundraisers set up in London by The Beatles and Rolling Stones for Bangladesh, well Babu Kishan does, he attended 4 of them since 1972 at Hyde Park, this lineage was part of the Indian contingent along with Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Purna Das Baul and others. This is how many attached themselves to fundraising in Bangladesh, they are masters of fundraising for their causes.
No one ever heard of Nusratrani Fakrini or Alam Fakir?
However, everybody heard of Purna Das Baul in Bangladesh; he was a super star in the 1970s through 2000, many people hooked themselves to Baul and made up Baul Fakir at that time. First learn the history of how this fake narrative was created.
It is common in Bangladesh for people to associate with Baul because that is where their funding comes from, there has already been so many who have copied directly from Babu Kishan. If they say Fakir they will never get funding, if a Fakir has associated with Yoga or Tantra is a mute point because that doesn't raise funds either yet is they associated with Baul it is way easier to obtain funding, this is a fact and it has been a jackpot for many.
You need to know no one even knew about Baul in Bangladesh before Purna Das Baul and in the 1970’s no one ever heard about Muslim Baul or Lalon Fakir except perhaps Rabindranath Tagore who never called him a Baul.
It was only Nabani Das Khyapa Baul who initiated Tagore into Baul, Babu Kishan's grandfather. Tagore only recognized Lalon Fakir as poet.
As did Babu Kishan who loved Lalon Fakir (Shah's) poetry it is Baul like but it is not Baul. When Bengalis heard Babu Kishan's Lalon Fakir music on the radio then people learned who is Lalon Fakir, he became popular in Bangladesh too and other music composers started to compose music with Lalon Fakir poetry. Baul always naturally has a tune with any Baul poetry.
It was only Babu Kishan he is one of the first to compose music to Lalon poetry. He brought a group of famed Bangladeshi singer to Calcutta in the later 1970's and produced and recorded an album of Lalon Fakir poetry, which his father Purna Das Baul sang, this is where Baul Fakir came from, just because a Baul sings other songs and songs of other poets does not make that poet a Baul. Other poets came to Babu Kishan to produce music for their poetry, such as Monohar Kepa and Baba Pagla and they hung out with this family as it would help their profile. They were lovers of Baul, great poets but no Baul. They were something but not Baul.
Lalon Fakir poetry recorded produced and music by Babu Kishan’s out of his own pocket. It was a super duper hit and introduced Lalon Fakir poetry to W Bengal on a large scale because Purna Das Baul sang the songs that Babu Kishan recorded to his music compositions. No one had recorded Lalon Fakir to music before.
Lalon did not have a tune or music for his poetry, because he was not a Baul, he was only a poet. If Lalon Fakir were a Baul he would have had a Baul tune and music for his poetry. A Bengali made a movie about Lalon Fakir being a Baul, what can you do, fake narratives just go on and on and that is my point, a few people can destroy an indigenous tradition by creating and repeating false narratives.
This was the first music used for Lalon Fakir poetry ever, done by Babu Kishan. Babu Kishan is a inborn music Composer, at 11 he was awarded the youngest Indian composer. It is not his fault that others took advantage and constructed false narratives and it is still happening in 2023.
Seriously, stop making this up, when you say more research is needed to focus only on Fakir Baul, take Baul off, tell your story with 2 Fakirs but do not use Baul as your umbrella. More research is needed on Fakir do that, but leave Baul alone, it has had lifetimes of false narratives.
No more research is needed on Baul. All the research has been done by Babu Kishan through living it, researching Baul and recording and translating thousands of Baul songs and preserving Baul for 60 years. Baul has been preserved since the 1960’s by Babu Kishan.
We are glad you inherited the notes of Carol Solomon, who was Babu Kishan's friend for decades in Bengal and in America. Babu Kishan was there for her when she started her travels to Bengal and Bangladesh and always a resource for her, did she ever mention his name, no this is what scholars do. We had dinner at Carol’s home in Seattle Washington in 2008 one year before she passed away. Within months of Babu Kishan arriving in Canada, he called and called and was so incredibly sad that she passed away. She was a dear friend of Babu Kishan’s and we mean no disrespect. However, the truth must be told.
Babu Kishan corrected Carol’s Bengali all the time, he taught her a lot and helped her endlessly? She did not know anything about Baul other than hanging in Bengal with all the new fake Baul singers. Babu discouraged her from hanging out with them. He tried to keep her safe in Bengal and Bangladesh. It was Babu who protected her many times in Bengal when she and her friend found themselves in difficult situations. She stayed at their home in Calcutta and he traveled with her to Shantiniketan to introduce her to his Baul family there. Babu Kishan provided much information on Baul to Carol over many years.
However, she would get the information and disappear many times. To obtain funding Baul was difficult Baul had already been studied by others such as Edward Dimock and his students. I think Edward Dimock had been Carols teacher at one point, but I could be wrong?
Carol took a u-turn for funding and constructed Lalon Fakir as a Baul. Lalon Fakir was not a Baul, he was a poet? Carol even had Babu Kishan sign for her funding as a legit Baul? He thought she was going to do work on authentic Baul?
Many people in Bangladesh were creating this new narrative of calling themselves Baul only because of the popularity of Purna Das Baul songs and then came Lalon Fakir the most famous Baul. This is when they latched onto Baul.
You can give all sorts of accolades to Carol Solomon but Babu Kishan knows her way better than you do. If Carol had Baul songs, she got them from this lineage, however Lalon Fakir songs are not Bauls songs and later in this book it will be explained why.
You write,“I physically attended, my inheritance of many handwritten papers and manuscripts of Carol Salomon (a prominent scholar of Bengali literature and Bāul songs, who translated over a hundred songs by Lālan Fakir based on her sustained engagement with communities in both Bangladesh and West Bengal), my correspondence and meetings with other scholars who also were immersed in the world of Bāul Fakirs, recorded phone calls, and published newspaper articles, as well as records of participation in multiple events and lectures, ritual festivals, and other events of relevance to Bāul Fakirs.” Keith Cantu
From experience newspaper article on Baul are always wrong, Your list is very weak.
Keith Cantu you are not indigenous to Bengal, Carol Solomon was not indigenous to Bengal, we are glad you inherited Carol Solomon's notes but you are making wild claims. You are studying Fakir not Baul saying you are immersed in Baul Fakir, you have no idea what being immersed in Baul is? What you have constructed is not true.
Fakir from Bangladesh use Baul and attach themselves to Baul, because this family made Baul popular. Baul became a famous way to fundraise in Bangladesh with one Bangladeshi official receiving 9 million to preserve Baul as being from Persia, he ran away with the funds. Bangladesh use Baul, they are experts of creating false narratives.
They all think maybe they too will win a jackpot from the United Nations, maybe 9 million for blurring the lines between Fakir and Baul. New narratives created that are absolute lies, Baul is from Persia?
If you observe long enough you will see the patterns.
How do you know a Baul song from a Fakir song or a Bangladeshi Folk song or a water song? How do you know what Baul is and what a folk song is, because of an 11 years phone call, a newspaper or magazine article, or a performance they perform all the time and yes they all call themselves Baul and they will all say they are poets and composers? More importantly how do we know they are telling the truth and you are telling the truth.
You must qualify yourself, you are trying to take the self-determining United Nation rights out of the hands of Indigenous Baul?
Lalon Fakir was a great poet, he was not a Baul, he did not practice Baul sadhana. Fakirs do not practice Baul sadhana, they may practice some yoga or tantra but that does not make them Baul, first you have to actually know who and what is Baul, you can't just cherry pick and self-dertemine who is Baul.
Baul sadhana is very specific to Baul.
Did you know, Baul is not only Birbhum vernacular Bengali. Did you know Bangladeshi Bengal is different and that Baul is oral Sanskrit and Sandhya Bhasa?
What language and what vernacular Bengali do these Fakir speak, are they oral Sanskrit? Are you?
“Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity. Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination.” United Nations
#Baul #Fakir
