Lila Roy she was an English Translator of Rabindranath Tagore's work and the Editor of my first English Book on Baul by Krishnendu Das.

Remembering: Lila Roy

BabuKishan.org

Lila Roy was an adept translator of Rabindranath Tagore's works from Bengali to English. She was the English Editor of the English book 'The Bauls of Bengal' which I wrote in the 1980's. 

Lila Roy was a very special person a Western women who was a real Master of Bengali who had a deep understanding of the 'Soul and Soil of Bengal'.Lila was a Legend and I do not want the world to forget her. Many people go on about the Western Scholars of Bengali, those who wrote books explaining Baul for Western Academia. I knew and met them all and not one of them compared to Lila Roy including Charles Capwell and Edward Dimock.

Here we are at Vigyan Bhavan, in New Delhi, attending the International Symposium of World Philosopy in the early 1980’s: 

Krishnendu Das aka Music Legend #BabuKishan with Lila Roy a major #RabindranathTagore English translator the legendary #LilaRoy aka AliceVirginia Orndorff of El Paso, Texas, she was born in 1910, the daughter of American pioneers, descending from German immigrants in the 18th century and from English immigrants a century earlier.

Lila Roy 'far right standing up' at a wedding that looks like Rabindranath Tagore is acting as a marriage Pujari.

Her teen years in Los Angeles, where she attended school and college, and then went to New York to study piano. While on a tour of Europe, she became interested in Indian music and was encouraged to explore it for herself by a friend in London. 

She arrived in Calcutta in the summer of 1930 and met the Legendary Poet and Author 'Annada Sankar Roy' for the first time in the provincial town of Berhampore where he had just begun his career. 

Lila and AnnadaSankar Roy were married in October 1930 in Ranchi.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annada_Shankar_Ray aka Roy

Alice Virginia began life in India as “Lila” (at that time, Annada Sankar sometimes wrote under the pen name of “Lilamoy”). Of interest to Santiniketan buffs, the writer Pramatha Chaudhuri and his wife Indira Devi Chaudhurani were present at the wedding.

She had seen and experienced the real and original Baul senses from Baul Saint Nabani Das Khyapa Baul my Grandfather and Guru who initiated Rabindranath Tagore into Baul. Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was the Baul who inspired and initiated Tagore into Baul giving him the name Robi Baul. She had not only seen and knew my Grandfather she knew my Dad Purna Das Baul from a very young age. 

Lila Roy was a great friend of mine too, she had an Academic personality, and we related well because I have always been archiving and preserving Baul from a young age and I loved language as I was born into oral Sanskrit, Indian Philosophy, Baul Philosophy. I was a great student from a young age of my Grandfather Nabani Das Khyapa Baula and Brajabala Dasi both oral Sanskritists. 

Brajabala my Grandmother who raised me from birth was a descendent of Narottama Das the great Vaishnava poet, I was lucky because I received the best teachers of my tradition and lineage all the way around. When I was born Nabani had stopped his Sadhu wandering ways and I benefited from having his attention full time.

Then of course I was the first Baul to be educated in an English Classical way with a BA of Indian Philosophy, Indian Music with a MA of Indian Music from Calcutta University.  

I was trained in both Oral and Classical of Indian Spirituality, Sanskrit and Indian Music, Folk, Classical, Indian Cinema and I am the only 'Baul Music Composer' who actually is a Music Composer with a huge body of work of over 60 albums, 150 Indian Cinema Musical Scores, I have released 300 films and 500 private, and Indian Cinema albums. 

Lila Roy knew Lineage Baul and was an expert on Bengali translations into English she was not a light weight she knew Baul History with 3 generations all together in one life. I do not believe there is anyone else who outside of our lineage who was as steeped in Vaishnava Baul as she was.

She used to say on and on, that meeting with Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was a mystical experience which she never found from anyone ever.

Lila Roy knew why he was Rabindranath Tagore’s most precious buddy and Baul inspiration. She also said Guru Baul Saint Nabani Das Khyapa Baul did not compare with any one she had ever met, he was just the one and only symbol of Bauls of Bengal!

Lila was a big supporter of mine. Lila Roy bought 100 copies of my first book to make me feel great, I was the first person from my family and One and Only lineage to write 3 books about my oldest Baul Lineage, she was my editor. 

She was my well wisher and I will never forget her.

Krishnendu Das aka Babu Kishan @ 22 years of age.
https://www.parabaas.com/translation/database/translations/essays/pAnandarup_LilaRay.html

www.BabuKishan.org

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#LilaRoy

Baul History and Herstory! Baul is preserved and it was Archived decades ago!

The First Baul's voice and Baul lifestyle was that of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul and the first Baul Women Brjobala Dasi from Birbhum they were recognized as authentic by the 'World ethnomusicology', by 'British  Museum in London' and Rabindranath Tagore, Allen Ginsberg, and Professor Edward Dimock. They touched with their heart and pen the World of Baul, Vaishnava Baul and Sahaja of this One and Only Lineage of Baul from Birbhum Bengal India.

#Lalonfakir was a #Hindu Poet but Muslims from Bangladesh twisted his story to become #muslim aka Fakir or Shah, converted people gave another #Title from Hindu Poet to #Fakir. The #real #Bauls never believes in any religion, why did they change from 'Hindu Poet to Fakir'and then call him a Baul, the narrative has changed?? When Bangladesh separated from India, Bangladesh claimed 'Lalon Fakir' as their own and made him a Fakir and Shah but called him a Baul thus appropriating Baul and making up stories that Muslim Baul existed when it never ever did. 

There is no such thing as 'Muslim Bauls' again the narrative changed and people who are not even Bauls are driving the narrative. Baul is a Sanskrit Yogic word based on Vayu and Tula. Baul has always been Yogic and Tantric and universal of #mankind and #womankind #humanity believer, Vasudhaiva kuTumbakam' ''Sanatan Dharma' for -We are all one. 

Islam and Muslim is never Universal try to tell them they have the same God as a Hindu or Christian God? Lalon was great Hindu poet but all fine and dandy! 

He did not have the Baul tune nor did he do Baul Sadhana. There are many types of Sufi, Baul is based on 'Hindu Sufi' not Muslim Sufi and the thing about Baul being Buddhism is that they are not Buddhists as many would say, however, when Buddhists were in trouble they always accepted them into their fold, they already had all the practices from Sanatan Dharma (Hinduism) which is before Buddhism.

Knowledge and history is to let one know who is who, without the memory of history all traditions get watered down and reduced and everything becomes speculation in a book of an outsiders mind and speculation, if you want to know about Baul go to an authentic Baul with a real History, not a made up History.  Baul is an oral Sanskrit tradition, there is no guess work or speculation, only an outsider would say or speculate Baul comes from Turkey? 

Only an outsider would speculate that Baul comes from Uzbekistan or Persia? Did I even read Baul came from Pakistan. I mean really, it is just crazy out there today? 

 The first voice of Baul was recorded was 'Nabani Das Khyapa Baul' the real Baul legend and iconic well known recognized Baul, really you have to do some deep research.  

Authentic diplomatic people watched him and all commented on the genius he was as most mystic baul they ever seen before... including, Kritimohan Sen, Shantidev Ghosh Nehru, Netaji, Najrul Islam, Annada Shankar Roy and Lila Roy.

Babu Kishan & Lila Roy

 American translator 'Lila Roy' who was the first Rabindranath Tagore’s English translator from Bengali, she was a Master of the Bengali language before  any other American, she was the first. 

She married a Bengali and was the wife of famed poet Ananda Shakar Roy. Lily Roy was the first American to be a Scholar on Bengali, she loved Babu Kishan and spent much time with him.

https://indiafolkheritageofbengal.weebly.com/lineage-baul-of-birbhum.html

Nabani Das Khyapa Baul was also, the first Baul to come from village to #metrocity. From Metro city Calcutta to the world to created a world’s platform all created by his sons Purna Das Baul Samrat and Laxman Das Baul, and their group cousin Sudhananda Das Baul friend figure and brother figure musicians HareKrishna Das Baul, Jibon Mondol, they toured America 1967. 

Lila Roy was the wife Annda Shankar Roy and the First English translator for Rabindranath Tagore. (She was the only foreigner who spoke perfect Bengali. She was from Texas.

But way before Purna Das Baul toured with Indian Artists in Mosow Youth Festival where he received #Bauls first #Goldmedal 1962, this completely change Baul and then the traveling outside of India began only by Purna Das Baul, when his eldest (Babu Kishan) joined, then it all exploded and more hookeup with world’s Universities, music festivals, cinemas, biggest world’s musiclebels, and media made Baul so famous polpular. 

Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul's name was press conference he was interviewed around the world back then on BBC and all big networks and newspapers. He wrote 3 books on Baul. They brought many new Baul singers with them, and then others tried to be them and follow them, which Babu Kishan always encouraged other New Baul singers. 

Babu Kishan designed the patchwork (Guduri) dress that now most Bauls wear today for performances,  this is 'Baul History' if you wear or wore this dress or your GURU wore this dress, you follow this lineage.

If you sing the songs of this lineage you follow this lineage, if you dress as the women Baul from the film Tagori, Babu Kishan designed that style and dress too, it is the film about his aunt Radharani Dasi.

If you use Ektara Baya and Nagpur around your feet you are following Nabani Das Khyapa Baul (Period).

If you call yourself Das Baul or Dasi you are definitely following this lineage.

​If you go where this lineage goes, logic you are following everything this lineage does but the sad part again is you are cutting the history of Baul off and replacing it with your own name?

Babu Kishan is happy for all new Bauls singers and wishes them well, just don't change the story and mess up his lineage, do not erase history or her-story there is no competition or race or acting.

Babu Kishan created a smooth platform for new generations and new Bauls to the #world as #Internationally. 

www.BabuKishan.org

#facebookindia #facebooknews #facebookpost #hastagkdbabukishan #europe #canada #usa #russia #australia #thehindu #indianexpress #saregama #anandabazarpatrika #toronto #california #delhi #westbengal #kolkata #mumbai

#lineagebaul

#baultantra

#baullineage

#baulofbengal

#babukishan

#baulwomen

#baulavadhuta

#baulsaint

#legendarybaul

#nabanidasbaul

#mirrorofthesky

#rabindranathtagore

#osho

#vaishnavabaul 

#vaishnavaaghori

#baul 

#baulmusic

 #tantra 

#babukishan

 #baulgaan

 #nabanidasbaul

 #purnadasbaul 

#bengal

 #india 

#indianmusic

 #shantiniketan

 #baullineage

#bengalibaul 

#baularchive

 #archivedbaul

#Baulhistory

#BaulofBengal 

#BaulofBirbhum

#dasbaul

#Kolkata

 #Bauldocumentary 

#baulkirtan 

#Baulsadhana 

#ektara 

#EkachakraBirbhum 

#gopiyantra  

#baultantra 

#NabonidasKhyapabaul 

#bauldocumentary 

#baulsangeet  

#RabindranathTagore 

#BaulTagore 

#shantiniketanbirbum 

#jainitai 

#jaiguru

 #NityanandaofEkachakra

 #BaulAvadhut

 #Birbhum 

#Tarapith 

#Kolkata 

#IncredibleIndia 

#India

 #VaishnavaBaul 

#TantricBaul  

#sangeetnatakakademi 

#ICCR

#Bhakti

#BhaktiYoga

#Ginsberg

#BobDylan

#Baulsahaja

#Sahaja

#guduri

#bauldress

#radharanidasi

#MonoharKhepa

#BaulMela

#BhavaPagla

#GopalNagar

#NuzulIslam

#LilaRoy