Bengal
Bengal is a region spanning over the countries of India and Bangladesh. As the world’s third largest ethnic group, the people of Bengal, known as Bengalis, speak the language Bangla. Bengalis mainly originate from the Indian state of West Bengal as well as the whole country of Bangladesh.
Take a journey with Bangla music and the beauty it holds
Evolution of Bengali Music
“I don’t listen to Bengali music.”
While it breaks my heart when I hear someone say this, I don’t blame those who don’t want to listen. To be honest, it’s not their fault.
Why? Well, it’s not that people don’t listen to Bengali music because it lacks diversity, spirituality, and complexity—that’s just not true. What this simply means is that people haven’t been given enough exposure to this music. To change this, I know so many musicians who are working hard to bring Bangla music to the ears of new listeners. To contribute my part in this effort, here are 5 prominent eras, 5 different genres, and 5 Bangla songs in under one minute. Whatever music taste you may have, I hope that this “Evolution of Bengali Music” video gives you one Bengali genre you would like to explore some more.
“I don’t understand Bangla fully or at all, so what’s the point of bothering with Bangla music?”
I completely get it when people tell me this. I would be lying if I said that all Bangla lyrics were easily accessible to the general public. To state the obvious, a majority of the world’s population does not speak Bangla. Furthermore, even for more fluent Bangla speakers, the lyrics can be difficult to understand due to the use of literary language. While you may personally not understand the language of these songs, I do want to gently point out that music is always more than lyrics. Sure, the lyrics add a special dimension to songs but an entire song is not only about the lyrics. There are melodies, rhythms, instruments, voice textures, and emotions all wrapped up in a song. So, if you find yourself not comprehending the lyrics of a particular song, focus your attention to the other aspects of the music at hand. If you allow yourself to do this, soon you’ll realize that the music itself embodies Bangla just as much, if not more, as the lyrics do.
To bring this point home, I present “Evolution of Bengali Music: Part 2”! Pay attention to the musical aspects of each decade. If you didn’t understand the lyrics, what song or genre did you musically like the best?
“I used to listen to a lot of Bangla music when I was little but I can’t stand it anymore.”
Just like all Bengali kids, I grew up on Bangla nursery rhymes. As I got older, I stopped listening to these songs and started exploring to find my own taste in music. This exploration period led me to find songs in other languages, such as Hindi and English, that I enjoyed. When I realized I missed hearing music in my sweet native language, I revisited the songs I listened to as a child and guess what? I HATED IT! For years, I convinced myself that Bangla music just wasn’t for me. It wasn’t until relatively recently that I realized I was wrong. Bangla music was, in fact, beautiful. I had just been listening to the WRONG type of Bangla music. Due to a lack of knowledge, I had tried to make myself love Bangla children’s songs as an adult. No wonder I didn’t like it. As I grew older, my music tastes had changed and this change needed to be reflected in the Bangla music I listened to as well.
Through the “Evolution of Bengali Music Pt. 3” I bring you the progression of music preference through an average person’s life. Within 5 phases of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, parenthood, and old age, the music as well as the lyrics drastically change.
I hope this cover helps to show the versatility of Bangla music and the journey it takes within one’s life.
Deya
Deya is a Bengali American woman whose music and art are testaments to who she is. She is the creator of social media platform, Deyarcreations, where she uses her music and cartoons to speak to social issues in the South Asian diaspora. Additionally, Deya has been singing for over 20 years. Her training includes a jazz vocal performance minor, Western Classical vocal training, and Hindustani Classical talim in the Kirana Gharana. She currently sings anything from English Pop to Bollywood to Bangla. Deya also offers voice lessons where she uses the fundamentals of healthy singing to teach others Western and South Asian genres. Deya is honored to be a part of Celebrate Nashville and is grateful for the opportunity to pay homage to her roots, heritage, and culture.