The representative of one of the most fascinating traditions to emerge from India, Bapi, better known by the name of his traditionnal group Baul Bishwa, is the ambassador of the Baul culture today.

The Baul (from the sanskrit word Batul : mad),is a troubadour, nomad and his only address is the wide world. The Baul is at home everywhere and each country is his. He makes no distinction between castes, peoples and races. A poet, musician, philosopher and craftsman, he spreads endless joy, love and peace around him.
In his music, instruments and attitude, Bapi exchanges and innovates with simplicity, dividing his time between Paris and Calcutta.
Backed by many encounters and partnerchips (ZapMama, Transglobal Underground, Fun-Da-Mental, etc.), Bapi harmoniously unites worlds that initially seem light years appart.
With his new group SENSES, he successfully treads the paths of electro-roots. The combination of popular Baul instruments and European musicians astonishes and delights audiences.
A ravishing female Bharat Natyam dancer provides a sensual accompaniment to this hybrid music.
SENSES is the result of highly spiritual, rhythmic and melodic experience coupled with an incredible ability to take on board the potential of electronic music. It symbolises the continual development of music and traditions

SENSES, fusion with tradition

Our five senses are part of us
You can't loose what is inside you.
Our five senses are at the birth of our first knowledge. They are the source of our enrichments and freedom.
1 come from a folk musician's family. I grew up in this atmosphere and I love folk music, it is my blood. I am in Europe since six years. I gave concerts of my traditional music and made the audience discover my roots. I also listen to various kind of music and I liked them. I wanted to add what I was discovering to what is a part of me. A little bit like the different clothes we wear when we travel - dhoti and penjabi in India; kimono in Japan, kilts in Scotland; etc...inside we are the same, a human being. That is why I created this group: SENSES.

I wish to use always acoustic-instruments (because I think they are powerful enough and give a danceable rhythm with the madness of the playing) and to add other modern sound elements. Now many things happen in music and if I appreciate that I am also afraid that we get used to listen only to rhythm more or less violent and aggressive. I wish that during the concerts of SENSES the audience dances with heart not only moved by the rhythm but also charmed by the melodies, that you can sing later because they stayed in your ears.

This group will always be opened, in movement. Its formation will change with the meetings, the desires and the availability. There will always be a part of improvisation. The idea is to give a musical base I composed and that everybody can express himself inside with his instruments, his voice and his dance. It is not a new idea and I tried it several times. Always I knew a particular happiness to communicate deeply with people with whom I am unable to understand the language, and the audience was happy to share this exchange You will listen to several acoustic instruments: a djembe, a piano, a bass, drums, tabla, a guitar, a violin, etc... and a khamak. This instrument is new for the European audience, it is my fetish instrument. I like it particularly for the totally crazy rhythms you can play on it. It has a strong personality for its small size.

In mixing all those instruments in one group I want to show one more time that different cultures can in the music get together and mix and stay distinct. It is a theme I like in my heart, this musical mixing which creates a universal language; the freedom, at last.
When you are on stage with the only desire to share your music with a musician who comes from somewhere else, the listening is vibrating. You can hear it like an endless question mark, you can smell it in the air like the memory of a forgotten perfume; you can see it on the smile of the musicians; you can touch it like the "stick" on the violin take the rhythm of the fingers playing on the accordion, you can taste it in singing words you don't understand.
Bapi - Paris - february 2001

Bapi Das Baul

Since 1992 artistic director of the group Baul Bishwa
1993 1St tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa CD Crammed with Baul Bishwa Collaboration with Zapmama Composer-writer of the song India (album : sabsylma)
1994 Tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa
1St festival WOMAD with Baui Bishwa
1995 Tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa

DISCOGRAPHY

CD songs of love and ecstasy with Baul Bishwa (Real World)
1996: Tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa Tour with Fun-Da-Mental in Europe
1997: Tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa
Tour with Transglobal Underground in Europe
1998: Tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa
CD Jaan Sufi with Baui Bishwa (Heaven & Earth) Co-composer+writer of the song Body Machine on the album Rejoice Rejoice by Transglobal Underground
1999: Tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa CD 6th Sense with Baul Bishwa (Iris)
1St concert of SENSES Music Summit in Cologne
2000: Tour in Europe with Baul Bishwa SENSES at the Festival Etnotek (Paris) SENSES at the Batofar (Paris)
2001: Collaboration new album Fun-Da-Mental Collaboration new album Tranglobal Underground
SENSES at the Festival Sons d'Hiver (Creteil) Salon de la Musique au Trabendo
La Villette - Festival Latitude Inde Fete de la Musique - Auxerre
Gaia Festival - Thessaloniki - Greece 26 october 2001 - WOMEX
2002: Festival Sons d'Hiver- Paris

 

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