Explore the rich heritage of folk songs of West Bengal and Bangladesh at a special workshop on indigenous music at KCC’s AMI Arts Festival 2024! 

Guided by Rongila Nao – an all-women folk music group from Kolkata involved in the attempts to preserve the legacy of folk songs of undivided Bengal, Assam and other states of India, the participants will learn the various intricacies of the folk forms of Jhumur, Tusu, Bhadu, Bhatiali, Sari, and Bhawaiya – both Doriya and Chatka. The workshop will delve into the proper techniques of singing these folk forms with perfect articulation, grammar, history, pronunciation and meaning of the songs. 

The participants will be rewarded with certificates upon completion. 

What you’ll learn: 

Jhumur, Tusu, Bhadu, Bhatiali and Sari forms of folk songs  

Mastering proper techniques of singing the above folk forms  

Perfect articulation of these folk songs along with the grammar, history, pronunciation and meaning of the songs  

At least one complete song of each of the above folk forms  

Creating similar renditions under the able guidance of the mentor 

What we’ll cover:  

Day 1: 30 November 2024 

3:00 PM – 3:55 PM: Introduction of Jhumur, Tusu, Bhadu  

4:00 PM – 4:55 PM: Training in Articulation and Style of Jhumur, Tusu, Bhadu along with a song of each genre  

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Participants will be trained to master one song on each of the above genres 

Day 2: 1 December 2024 

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM: Introduction of Bhatiali and Sari.  

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Training in Articulation and Style of Bhatiali and Sari along with a song of each to establish the difference between both.   

1:45 PM – 1:15 PM: Introduction of Bhawaiya – both Doriya and Chatka.  

1:15 PM – 2:15 PM: Training in Articulation and Style along with a song of both sub- genres to establish the difference between both.  

2:15 PM – 2:45 PM: Individual presentation and/or evaluation of knowledge of the participants.  

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM: Concluding session with feedback, doubt clearing, Q/A.  

Trainer Profile:  

Rongila Nao is an All-Women Folk Music Group from Kolkata – a group of energetic and enthusiastic women who works with soulful folk renditions, both original and traditional. This group has been involved in the attempts to preserve the legacy of folk songs of undivided Bengal, Assam and other states of India and to spread the songs of the soil to every corner of the world by conducting workshops. Rongila Nao is proficient in Bhawaiya, Bhatiyali, Jhumur, Bhadu, Jarii, Sarii, Gambhira, Bon Bibir Gan, Dhamail etc to name a few where most of them again have sub-genres. Their mentor, Smt Jyotsna Mandal (lyricist, composer and arranger of original folk and other compositions; disciple of folk music maestros like Hemango Biswas, Amar Pal, Dinendra Chowdhury) is often invited as faculty in folk workshops organised by various institutions – one such recent event being the Baul Workshop in Delhi organised by SurAlaap in December 2023.