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Saurav Moni is a unique folk singer from West Bengal, India. He sings the traditional songs of riverine Bengal delta. He is one of the country’s foremost folk singers today.

He is self learned and has adapted a rustic singing style since childhood in association with the village fisherman, travelling boatman from various parts of Bengal, folk singers and wandering saints. Hailing from the remote village of Hingalgunj in the southernmost Sunderban, Indo-Bangladesh border, Saurav came to Kolkata for higher education. At this time he felt the urge to go back to his roots by devoting himself to vocal archiving and researching the rare folk songs of the Bengal delta.

Saurav refuses to be labeled solely as a singer but wants to be also recognized as a artist who is rooted in the folk culture of his native Bengal. In his words:" I am a storyteller; I narrate the bygone tales of the lost songs and pay my tribute to the rivers of Bengal delta”. In his performance he shares the musical story of the boat journey from northern Bengal to the extreme south. He demonstrates the tempo of the songs in sync with the flow of the river: the tempo rises as the river quickens (in downward movement). He recalls his childhood Karim kaka (uncle) who used to visit his river bank village every year from farthest northern Bengal. Saurav since childhood have pictured himself to be a fellow traveler in Karim kaka’s boat wandering and absorbing the various streams of genres, lifestyles and faith to an ultimate musical confluence. Later in his field research Saurav traced back this river route collecting songs and enlightening himself in its every mystic bend.

His baritone voice twists and turns through the folk notes, as the river meanders and gushes forth when the flow is swift. A native of Southern Bengal deltaic regions, the Bhatiyali or boatmen songs he sings are infused with the traditional flavour and lifestyle that can only come from a rooted, lived experience. Songs of legendary Bengali folk singers Abbasuddin, Abdul Alim, and Hemanga Biswas get a new lease of life in Saurav's deep mellifluous voice. He is equally adept at Lalongiti (songs of Bengal's legendary sufi saint- Fakir Lalon Shah) to which he brings his own style that is distinct from the Bauls of Nadia, Birbhum and Murshidabad. Apart from Baul, Marfati, Murshidi, Shaari, Jaari, Bhawaiya genre of songs he excels in the Bangla Islami gaan or Bengali songs with Islamic content - especially the 'milad'. With an ethnomusicologist bent of mind, he conserves and performs those traditional songs which are on the verge of extinction, being undiscovered like Palkir gaan (palanquin songs). His relentless research on the journey of the songs egged him to embark on an interesting journey forming a band with co-singer and musicians from his village, the Majhi Mallah (band of boatmen). He is not only a performer but one who represents the culture of a community and the song of the land. Saurav's songs are more than folk songs. They are soul songs.

Context: Bengal (Bangladesh and West Bengal of India) has a rich tradition of folk songs, with lyrics rooted into vibrant tradition and spirituality, mysticism and devotion. Such folk songs also revolve round several other themes, including love. Most prevalent of folk songs and music traditions include Bhatiali, Baul, Marfati, Murshidi and Bhawaiya. Lyricists like Lalon Shah, Hason Raja, Kangal Harinath, Romesh Shill and many unknown anonymous lyrists have enriched the tradition of folk songs of Bangladesh. Several musical instruments, some of them of indigenous origin, are used in Bangladesh. Major musical instruments used are bamboo flute (banshi), drums (dhol), a single stringed instrument named ektara, a four stringed instrument called dotara, a pair of metal bawls used for rhythm effect called mandira.

Bhatiali or Bhatiyali is a traditional form of folk music in Bengal. Bhatiyali is a traditional boat song, sung by boatmen while going down streams of the river, as the word Bhatiyali comes from Bhata meaning ebb or downstream.

The course of the river harmonizes with the tune of the songs, with the tempo of each song connoting the pace of flowing water. In this way a slow tempo Bhatiyali song of northern Bengal (where flow of the water is slow) transforms into a fast tempo Shaari song (fast boat rowing song) in the southern Bengal where the river current is high. It mostly is sung in the Bhati (lower region of a river) area. Bhaitaili lyrics are traditionally about boating, fishing, life and rivers. Among the 14 subject of folk music in Bengal, that includes Deha-tatva (about the body) and Murshid-tatva (about the guru), Bhatiali deals with Prakriti-tatva (about nature). Between 1930s and 1950 Bhaitali has seen it golden age, when most of these personalities were contributing to the genre. Singer Abbas Uddin, S.D.Burman, Hemanga Biswas made the genre popular.

Recent Performance Highlights: 	Feb 2012 EZCC (Ministry of Culture, Govt. Of India) Kolkata Special Performance on River Songs. 	Jan 2012, Guest performance @ Limca Book of Records @ Taj palace, Delhi. 	Jan 2012, 57th Idea FILMFARE AWARDS Ceremony guest performance @ Mumbai. 	Jan 2012, Jaipur Literature Festival Show 	Jan 2012, Special Morning show (Baul Sangha of Bengal) at Tara Muzik TV @ Kolkata. 	Dec 2011, Special Talk Show @ Akashvani Radio FM Rainbow. Kolkata. 	Nov 2011 Guest performance on Rare traditional Songs of Bengal, Desh TV, Dhaka Bangladesh. 	May 2011     Performance for an episode on ‘Coke Studio, India’ aired on MTV, Mumbai, India. ( Several COKE STUDIO INDIA @ MTV shows throughout India) 	April 2011    ‘Lok Mantra’ Folk Festival showcasing rich and diverse folk art and culture of West Bengal, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Delhi 	February 2011   Sufi Sutra, Kolkata: First ever International Sufi Festival in Eastern India 	January 2011    Goa Folk Festival, Kala Academy, Goa. (A three day extravaganza, featuring, Folk Ensemble, Chau dance and Baul Fakiri at the open air auditorium of Kala Academy Panjim Goa 	January 2011    Fakiri Utsav, Gorbhanga, Kolkata.  A three day festival showcasing the famous Baul Fakiri musical magic of Bengal will take place in Gorbhanga, Nadia District. Along with the songs of the soil sung by renowned Baul -Fakiri artists, Chau dance and Patachitra artists will showcase their art at the Utsav. 	January 2011     ‘Rabi Scope’. Rabindra Bhavan, Goa: On the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, banglanatak dotcom along with Rabindrabhavan Goa presents performances of Folk ensemble and Chau dance at the Rabindra Bhavan Goa. 	October 2011      Folk Ensemble, Gurgaon  Impresario India and banglanatak dotcom and Epicenter present an evening of Majhimallar Gaan,Baul Gaan,Marfati Gaan,Santhali Gaan,Murshidi Gaan,Jhumur Gaan 	October 2010   Album recording: ‘Nouka Kholo’, a collection of songs from the Sunderbans 	September 2010    Folk Mela, Chandannagore 	August 2010   ‘Lok Sangeet Sammelan,’ India Habitat Centre, Delhi. 	August 2010    Folk Ensemble, Alliance Francaise, Bangalore. 	June 2010        Folk Ensemble, Alliance Francaise, Delhi.

Pratayaysur (talk) 14:26, 5 March 2012 (UTC)