| Kobi Gaan | |
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| Native name | কবি গান |
| Stylistic origins | Bengali folk song |
| Cultural origins | British India |
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Kavigan (Bengali:কবিগান),Kobi Gaan,Kobi Lorai orKabigan is a form ofBengali folk performance wherein folk poets sing and perform. A verbal duel among the poets, this mystic minstrels art was popular with rural folk form in nineteenth century inBengal region, which includes theIndian state ofWest Bengal andBangladesh.[1][2][failed verification]. The mythological themes from both Hindu and Muslims religious texts were commonly used for Kobi Gaan.
Kavigan is normally sung by two groups. Each group is led by akaviyal orsarkar. The accompanying singers calleddohars often repeat what the leader said.[3] A kavigan programme starts withbandana (evocation) orgurudever geet (song of the sect patron). Thebandana can be directed to or be in praise ofSaraswati,Ganesh, people, and the audience, as deemed fit by a particularkaviyal. This is followed by Radha–Krishna related song, some call itagamani. Then songs on four subjects are sung:sakhi sambad,biraha,lahar andkheur.Sakhi sambad deals with the love-songs related to Radha-Krishna. Biraha is about the mortal pang of separation of common human beings. Kheur is mainly about gods and goddesses, but often includes mild slangs. Finally, the competitive part starts. It mainly consists of the Lahar, where the competitors personally attack each other, musico-verbally.[1] In kavigan, also referred to askabir larai, two person who are lyricist plus composer at the same time answer each other in form of songs.[4]
In hisBanglar Kavigan, Sajani Kanta Das said, "Kavigan was born out of a synthesis of various art forms prevalent in different parts of Bengal at different times having peculiar names such astarja, panchali, kheur, akhrai, half akhrai, full akhrai, danra kavigan, basa kavigan, dhap kirtan, tappa, Krishna jatra, tukkagiti etc."[1] Various literary researchers such asIshwar Chandra Gupta and Dr. Harekrishna Mukhopadhyay have dwelt at length on the origins and development of kavigan.[1]
Dr. Sushil Kumar Dey opines, "The existence of kabi songs may be traced to the beginning of the 18th century or even beyond it to the 17th; but the flourishing period of the Kabiwalas was between 1760 and 1830."[1] As the religious and ritualistic content in Bengali poetry wore out there was a tendency to break away from the traditionalVaishnava poetry but the real breakthrough came only with the introduction of the printing press in mid–18th century. From the close of the 18th century for more than half a century the new kavi–poetry and panchali reigned supreme in the Kolkata region and almost threatened to sweep everything else in literature.[5] However, while Kavigan lost its supremacy in Kolkata, it retained its position in rural Bengal.[1]
Themug of Mymensingh is better, and thekai fish of Khulna;
Dhaka'spataksir is better, and the yoghurt of Bankura;
The sweetmeat makers of Krishnanagar are better, and the mangoes of Maldaha;
Ulo's male monkeys are better, and the blackberries of Murshidabad;
The fathers-in-law of Rangpur are better, and the sons–in–law of Rajshahi;
The boats of Noakhali are better, and the midwives of Chittagong;
The Kayets of Dinajpur are better, and the wine sellers of Howrah;
The Vaishnavas of Pabna are better, and themudi of Faridpur;
The cultivators of Burdwan are better, and the milkmen of 24-Paraganas;
The girls of Guptipara are better–beware your line will soon become extinct.
The fighters and ruffians of Hughli are better, and the buttermilk of Birbhum.
It is better if the rhythm of thedhak stops and all utter the name of Hari in chorus.
Dr. Sushil Kumar Dey has a word of praise for thekaviyals, "These poets were, no doubt, born among the people (lowest classes), lived with the people and understood perfectly their ways of thinking and feeling; hence their direct hold upon the masses of whom many a modern writer is contentedly ignorant."[1]
Kobigaan was a debating contest between two minstrels (Kobiaal | the poets of the Kobigaan genre) and their troupes (Dohars) in Verse with some traditional musical instruments of Bengal. The mythological themes as well as the erotic themes were used. When mythological themes was used in Kobigaan, that was called Torja, this Torja was an old and traditional Kobi Gaan. The Kheyur was the second type Kobi Gaan in which erotic themes likeRadha andKrishna were used as metaphorically. The originated of the Kheyur wasKrishnanagar under the patronage of Raja Krishna Chandra ofNadia District. The Dhaak, Harmonium, Kansi, Mandira and drum were the main musical instrument used in Kobi Gaan. The Kobi Gaan is still performed in villages of Bengal with a small scale.[3]
A number ofkaviyals attained popularity and fame. InBirbhum district alone there were about three hundredkaviyal from the 18th–20th century. Amongst the earliest wereLokokabi Lambodar Chakroborty, Gonjla Guin, born in the 18th century and his contemporaries: Lalu–Nandalal, Raghu and Ramji. The famous 19th centurykaviyals of Kolkata were Haru Thakur, Nitai Vairagi, Ram Basu, Bhola Maira, and Anthony Firinghee.[3][1]
Some ofkaviyals in other parts of Bengal were Balahari Roy (1743–1849), Sambhunath Mondal (1773–1833), Tarakchandra Sarker (1845–1914), Haricharan Acharya (1861–1941),Ramesh Chandra Shil (1877–1967), Rajendranath Sarkar (1892–1974), Bijaykrishna Adhikari (1903–1985),[3][1] Nishikanto Raysarkar.
Mukunda Das, more popular as acharan kavi, was also akaviyal.[1] His character was featured in a popular Bengali filmBalika Bodhu, wherein the songs of Mukunda Das inspired the rural masses during the independence movement,[7]
Another famouskaviyal,Anthony Firingee, a Portuguese man,[8] was featured in a Bengali biographical film bearing his name, withUttam Kumar portraying him.[9]
Bhola Moira (19th century)kaviyal was a popular and entertaining singer who could keep his audience mesmerised. Realising the importance of popular entertainment,Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar complimented Bhola Moira and said, "To awaken the society of Bengal, it is necessary to have orators likeRamgopal Ghosh, amusing men likeHutom Pyancha and folk singers like Bhola Moira".[6]Bhola Moira is a biographical film about him, made in 1977.[10]
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