This is an interesting synthesis — music and fabric. Just the other day, Bengali folk rock group Brahmakhyapa presented a concert at New Delhi's Pragati Maidan with the aim of promoting the use of bio-degradable fabric, jute. “Both jute and the music of Brahmakhyapa have their roots in the soil,” said Atri Bhattacharya, Secretary, Jute Manufacturers Development Council, the event organiser, setting the genesis of the evening's programme.
Dressed in a stylish red coat with green sleeves over a pair of black jute pants and a boat-neck red top, band member Brahma is all for the fabric, stating, “Jute is the most natural and eco-friendly fabric available. In fact, I have been wearing jute since years. That's why I was so excited when the Ministry approached us for the event.” Khyapa nodded in affirmation, preferring his better half to do the talking, “as she is better in communication.”
The duo began the concert with a Bengali song “Prem roshika”, a groovy number about female connoisseurs. The second number “Sahaj Manush” was a typical mid-tempo Baul song which talked about the importance of a guru in one's life. Their third was a Hindi number on popular demand called “Sab ka malik ek hai” where they jammed with DJ Sam. The audience went ballistic, dancing to the beats of the Bangla dhol in “Meri mathiya hari hari ga”, an upbeat jazzy number.
Krishna's flute
The evening ended on an optimistic note with “Vrindavana ekhono sei banshi baje re”, meaning Krishna's flute still rings in Vrindavan, and if you can't hear it, just open your ears — telling us to never give up hope. The song had a traditional classical touch with dotara, khol and kartal as accompaniments.
“The baul music is all about love making where we emphasise on finding the divine within the body. Most of the songs are allegorical. They have secret messages about issues like love making and population control which have to be decoded. This tradition was started by the famous saint Lalan Fakir, as discussing sexuality openly was a taboo in society,” explained the couple.
“This was our first show in Delhi. It was a wonderful experience. Before coming here we were a bit jittery because of the language; we generally sing in Bengali. But just five minutes after we started, we got a positive response from the audience. This just proves that music has no bar,” said an overwhelmed Brahma.
The couple also gave away T-shirts and CDs of their first album“Bhromor” to the audience. Released in July this year, the album is a gist of the couple's journey and experiences over the last seven years. Titled “Bhromor”, the songs are about a bumblebee which goes from flower to flower sucking nectar.
