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Purna Das Baul
The direct descendant of Ananta
Goswami, a well known Baul guru in the late
nineteenth century, Purna Das Baul represents
the eighth generation of a traditional Baul
lineage. He spent his childhood accompanying
his father Nabani Das Kapha Baul, the legendary
Baul singer, mystic poet, and yogi, who was
a close friend of the Nobel Prize winning poet
Rabindranath Tagore. Purna Das Baul is responsible
for raising awareness of this unique Baul tradition
in the rest of the Indian subcontinent and the
West. He was recognized as Baul Samrat ("King
of the Bauls") by the then president of
India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, in 1967. He received
another President's Award for his work in 1999
from Shri K. R. Narayan.
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In India, Purna Das has brought Baul music
to the attention of a wide public through
concerts, performances at religious festivals,
and numerous recordings. He first came to
the U.S. in the late 60s, invited by Albert
Grossman, manager of Bob Dylan and Peter,
Paul and Mary. He was befriended by Dylan
and poet Alan Ginsberg, with whom he resonated
as "Western Bauls."
In 1968, Purna Das appeared with Dylan on
the cover of the latter's album, John Wesley
Harding. In addition to working with Dylan
and The Band, Purna Das shared the stage with
artists such as Ravi Shankar, Mahalia Jackson,
Joan Baez, and Gordon Lightfoot.
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Nabani
Das Kapha |
Purna
Das performing at
a religious fair in India
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In addition to numerous recordings in India,
Purna Das Baul has released a number of recordings
in Europe and North America on labels such
as Electra, Nonesuch, CramWorld, and Womad.
Purna Das Baul's CD "The Bauls of Bengal"
(CramWorld, 1994) was included in the Rough
Guide's World Music: 100 Essential CDs.
Purna Das Baul is known for a singing voice
of remarkable range, operatic power, and hauntingly
evocative spirituality. His soulful, ecstatic
song and dance typically brings audiences
to their feet with enthusiasm. In India, his
concerts draw crowds of many thousands.
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In India, Purna Das Baul and his family have actively
supported the Baul community by setting up an ashram
in Shantiniketan, a traditional center of Baul culture,
that houses Bauls who are involved in various community
projects such as helping AIDS patients and educating
the nearby communities about AIDS through their songs.
He also works with various children's organizations
by performing at their centers and hospitals. He has
recently started regular visits to the local prisons
to perform for the inmates. In all of these sessions
he uses his songs and music to inspire his audience
to solve their problems in spiritually creative ways.
In these endeavors, he is always accompanied by his
wife Manju Das, and son, Dibyendu Das.
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