Searching for the Man of the Heart explores how Baul songs use the metaphor of the house to describe the human body, which, for the Baul, is the starting place for realization. In this episode, listeners hear lyrics with cryptic images that point toward what the Baul call the praner manus “the man of the heart”–a personification of one’s inner truth.

Songs:

Dhonno Dhonno - Lalon Fakir (composer)*, Supriya Poddar (singer) *

Charyapada (First Song) - Lui Pad (composer), Srijoni Sadhika (singer)

Ghor Niye Koto Jontrona - Anath Bondhu Ghosh (composer and singer)

Amar Bhanga Ghore - Kingsuk Goshai (composer), Rabi Das Baul (singer)

Barir Kachhe Aarshinagar - Lalon Fakir (composer), Ochin Pakhi (performer)

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*students of Babu Fakir

Instrumentals:

Jekhane Shai’r Baramkhana - Lalon Fakir (composer), Amirul Fakir (Dotara player)

Dhonno Dhonno - Lalon Fakir (composer), Amirul Fakir (Dotara player)

Ghor Niye Koto Jontrona - Anath Bondhu Ghosh (composer), Lucia Thomas (violinist)

Youtube Links:

Babu Fakir and his students: https://youtube.com/@babufakirofficial5603?si=6T-tG1r71DHXDaPa

Sadhika Srijoni and Simon Zakaria: https://youtube.com/@charyapada7209?si=Pe31qLE6i3F31hZL

Anath Bondhu Ghosh: https://youtu.be/ojMfb-PyWJg?si=Lxpr4vrYsGK-FpPJ

Robi Das Baul: https://youtu.be/jjkfOVVMzi0?si=NyhSB6W6AK6XDIcE

Ochin Pakhi: https://youtube.com/@ochinpakhichicago?si=tuCdiH_6U8UPeMmM

Many thanks to Biplab Ghosh, Arnab Sengupta, Rina and Manosij Goswami for help in the field, to Gene Nemirovsky for audio engineering, to the Fulbright-Nehru program and to all the musicians and teachers who recorded for this show. 

Photo: "Bengal Patachitra" via Wikimedia Commons