Paban
Das Baul was born in 1961 in the village of
Mohammedpur, in the district of Murshidabad in West
Bengal, India - land of a population incarnating the
spirit of syncretism between Tantric, Vaishnava,
Muslim and Buddhist traditions through music, dance
and song. He is well known for his genius of
improvisation on the dubki
(a
small tambourine) and the inspired lyrical beauty of
his songs, which give him the power to create
trance-like states in his listeners.
Paban
started to play and sing from the age of five: "When
my father, a champion of martial arts, lost his lands,
he wandered around the villages of Murshidabad singing
and wrestling for money. I would accompany him and
learn how to sing and play the dubki
from
the Sufi fakirs. Later, I met the Bauls and played in
their festivals. At the age of fourteen I was
initiated by Subal Das Baul."
The word "Baul" means divinely possessed, without limits, simply mad; the Bauls address each other as khepa meaning furious. They have a mode of life entirely determined by a fundamental choice and bring chaos and disorder wherever they go - attracting people towards them, inviting intimacy, breaking the rhythm of daily life.
Their wild behavior and repetitive rhythms make them seem strange and manic; so it's not surprising that in traditional Bengali society, where strict caste and class distinctions are rigidly maintained, they are chastised and despised. Through their songs, dances, gestures, through silences, through postures and looks, the Bauls tell stories of the earth, of the body, of lovers uniting - subtly revealing the mystery of life and the laws of nature. Submission to the divine is the tightrope to wisdom; Baul knowledge is transmitted through songs. This early apprenticeship gives Paban's music a unique quality. His unconventional nature and versatile talents, drawing and inspiring him from old and new sources, make him a controversial figure in Bengal.
Paban Das
Baul and Mimlu Sen
© photo Patrick Le Gac
