Kabiwalader Gaan (Bengali Version)

Book Details

• Author: Anjan Sen
• Publisher: Bangiya Sahitya Samsad
• Language: Bengali
• ISBN: 9789385131776

About the Book

Kabiwalader Gaan (Bengali Version) is a comprehensive study of the rich tradition of Bengali Kabiyal songs, one of the most vibrant and intellectually engaging forms of Bengal’s folk performance culture. Emerging during the eighteenth century and flourishing well into the second half of the nineteenth century, Kabiyal performances captivated audiences across Bengal through their poetic improvisation, musical excellence, wit, and spirited verbal contests.

The book traces the historical evolution of the Kabiyal tradition, examining its origins, development, and remarkable popularity. It highlights how these performances attracted the admiration of some of Bengal’s foremost intellectuals and literary figures, including Rajnarayan Basu, Rangalal Bandyopadhyay, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Their interest reflects the significant place that Kabiyal music once occupied within Bengal’s literary and cultural life.

Anjan Sen explores the distinctive artistic features of Kabiyal songs, including their language, poetic style, performance techniques, thematic diversity, and musical structure. The book demonstrates how these performances combined entertainment with intellectual debate, social commentary, and literary creativity, making them an important component of Bengal’s oral and performative heritage.

A major contribution of this work is its critical examination of the historical neglect and misrepresentation of the Kabiyal tradition. The author discusses how colonial literary values and Victorian moral standards often dismissed many indigenous performance traditions as crude or obscene, leading to their marginalization within mainstream literary history. By revisiting these assumptions, the book offers a balanced reassessment of the artistic and cultural significance of Kabiyal music.

Adding further scholarly value, the volume includes a carefully curated selection of writings by prominent nineteenth- and twentieth-century thinkers on the Kabiyal tradition. These historical perspectives enrich the discussion and provide readers with valuable insight into changing attitudes toward this unique form of folk performance.

Combining literary criticism, folklore studies, musicology, and cultural history, Kabiwalader Gaan is an essential resource for students, researchers, folklorists, music enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the rich heritage of Bengali folk music and performance traditions.