The music of Bangladesh spans a wide variety of styles. Bangladesh claims some of the most renowned singers, composers and producers in Asia. Music has served the purpose of documenting the lives of the people and was widely patronized by the rulers. It comprises a long tradition of religious and regular song-writing over a period of almost a millennium.
Painting depicting Hason Raja.
Tamak (r.) and Tumdak (l.) - typical drums of the Santhal people, photographed in a village in Dinajpur district, Bangladesh.
The Baul are a group of mystic minstrels of mixed elements of Vaishnavism and Tantra from different parts of Bengal such as Bangladesh and the neighboring Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam's Barak Valley and Meghalaya. Bauls constitute both a syncretic religious sect of troubadours and a musical tradition. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many sects, but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims. They can often be identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments. Lalon Shah is regarded as the most celebrated Baul saint in history.
Ektara, a common musical instrument of Bauls
A Baul from Lalon Shah's shrine in Kushtia, Bangladesh
Baul Followers Sadhika Srijoni Tania singing with playing Dugi and Ektara.
Lalon, the most celebrated Baul saint in history, by Jyotirindranath Tagore, 1889