Talk:Shah Abdul Karim

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Shah Abdul Karim - A Great Bangladeshi Baul Poet Of Contemporary Time

Shah Abdul Karim is a familiar name across the country mainly due to the rapid success of Habib and some other singers who brought his songs in the limelight. Habib has presented mostly Karim’s songs in remixed form in his first two albums. The express success of Habib is a product of both his talent and the quality of Karim’s songs.

Shah Abdul Karim is now counting his last days in his village shack ignoring alluring offers from media with a self esteem that perfectly matches his worth.

The quality of Karim’s Lyrics can be viewed, at least, from five different points.

Simplicity and Universality Humbleness and Secularism Modernism Feminism Respect for his own language Simplicity of his lyrics is reflected by his subject choice. For example, beside writing on the common subjects like Love, Nature, he has ventured writing wonderful lyrics on as simple subjects as Boat Rowing, Singing Songs, etc.           Bengali: “Gan gai amar monre bujhai Mon thake pagol para Ar kisu chayna mone gan sara”

Translation: "I sing to sooth my mind                       Which is totally lost                       My mind wants nothing at all                       Except singing song"

Like most of the Bauls, he often maintains different layers of meaning in his Lyrics. Surprisingly, In his love songs, the prime meaning is Human Love, while the common Baul practice is to utilize Devine Love in an effort to generate definite public emotion. Bengali: “Nilua batashe shoigo nilua batashe Bondhur barir fuler gondho amar bari ashe”

Translation: "With the dry wind my dear                     Along with the dry wind                      The fragrance of flowers                      Of my sweet heart's garden                      Visits my place"

Universality of his lyrics derives from his simplicity. Any one at any time at any place would feel interested in his lyrics because they have the ability to entertain the ordinary emotions created out of personal conflicts and longings of the individual person.

Humbleness is a perceptible feature about his lyrics. This is very common in the Baul songs though. As for secularism, Shah Abdul Karim demonstrates a very liberal attitude towards religion. His attitude towards religion is immersed with human interest. He is more interested in the human elements of religion than in the divine elements. Bengali:   “Krishnoy dila Radhar gole Radhay dila Krishner gole Anonde shokhigon nache Bashor hoilo ujjala”

Translation:  "Krishna put on the garland                      Around Radha's neck                      Radha put on the garland                      Around Krishna's neck                      All the mates started dancing in joy                      And the love bed became enlighted"

Modernism, therefore, is the eventual outcome, although it is very unlikely that anyone has ever taught him the slightest lesson on modernism. Simplest emotions are expressed in the simplest way. His modernism is never pessimistic. Rather an aesthetic attitude prevails in his work.

Feminism distils in many of his songs where the speaker is a female. Very often, he tends to sing with a female voice. However, this comes in a very balanced and restrained way. He shows an inclination towards illustrating male expression of human emotions to the same extent. Often the sex of the speaker is not identifiable within the bound of his lyrics.

Respect for his own language (Sylhety) is evidently reflected by his Sylhety lyrics. Word choice like “Maya” instead of “Bhalobasha”, “Mestory”  instead of “Mistree”  and so on, are unique presentation of the regional language in its real aroma. This aspect about him has been more firmly established by his use of accurate Sylhety intonation as indispensably incorporated with rhyme and rhythm. Unlike very few he has never been hypocrite to resent or shun away from his own language.