'The Musical Roots of Bengal by Dohar’

From the flowing rivers of East Bengal to the festive courtyards of rural villages, the music of a united Bengal carries stories of devotion, labour, love, and celebration. This festive season, folk ensemble Dohar presents ‘The Musical Roots of Bengal’, a journey into the region’s diverse traditions through song, rhythm, and ritual.  

The performance explores forms such as Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Chatka, Jhumur, Kirtan, Baul-Fakiri, and Dhamail, alongside Bengal’s grand festivals – Durga Puja, Eid, Holi, and Gajon – all brought to life with the resonant sounds of ethnic instruments including the dhak, dotara, sarinda, and bamboo flute. 
 
Conceptualised and performed by Dohar, the internationally acclaimed collective of artists – Rajib Das, Sudipto Chakraborty, Amit Sur, Mriganabhi Chattopadhyay, Rahul Karmakar, Rittik Guchait, Satyajit Sarkar, Gopal Das, and Triya Chatterjee – this production reflects their mission of being the chorus for voices rooted in the soil. 

With a repertoire spanning over 30–35 folk traditions from Bengal and the North East, Dohar bridges the rustic with the contemporary, offering audiences a glimpse into cultural forms that are seldom heard today. In doing so, ‘The Musical Roots of Bengal’ seeks not only to celebrate festivals and rituals, but also to reveal the shared identity of a Bengal beyond boundaries.