Folk Music: Dolly Mandal’s soulful relationship with Baul, native songs
Kazi Washiur Rahman from Kushtia :
Popular folk artiste Dolly Mandal has a soulful relationship with Baul and native songs. She has been practicing Baul songs since childhood. In 2019, she entered the singing reality show ‘Magic Bauliana’. Since then, her journey in the music world has begun.
She has captivated the audience by singing songs with the sweetness of her extraordinary melodious voice. Then in 2022, she worked as an assistant mentor on the same show.
This is undoubtedly a big achievement for her. In addition to her busy schedule with TV and stage shows, she has regularly released original songs. We talked about various topics with her in chats. This time she came face to face with English daily The New Nation.
Dolly Mandal, a popular folk singer of the current generation, lives in Mahishadanga, Kushtia. Her grandfather, Baul Guru Sadhon Shah Fakir, introduced her to music. One day, he came to their house. After arriving, he sat in their room. He had a dotara with him.
Dolly and her elder sister Polly were playing the dotara. At that moment, his father came. His father came and saw their interest in singing.
Then, his grandfather, in front of his parents, gave him a sentence to teach them to sing. Since then, her father, sacrificing everything in society, has kept them in this world of singing and taught them to sing.
Dolly learned music from Guru and occasionally went to various sadhusangas. There she would sing Palagan. Her father would also take her to small stage shows at various places. Dolly Mandal first picked up the harmonium from a local master, Motaleb Master.
She learned classical music from him. She also took music training from another teacher in the area. After completing her SSC, she moved to Dhaka. When she came to Dhaka, she got admitted to Agargaon Government Music College.
From there, she completed her post-graduate degree in music. While studying in college, she came in contact with Guruji Shafi Mandal. Since meeting Guruji Shafi Mandal, she has been giving up Palagan and performing the words of Lalon Saiji.
In response to the question of which type of song she feels more comfortable singing, Dolly Mandal said, “I have dedicated myself to Baul songs. My soul has been connected to Baul songs since childhood. ‘Whatever is in the universe is in the human body.’”
Dolly Mandal has released some new original songs last Eid. She mainly captures Saiji’s words in her voice. Along with Saiji’s songs, she has composed several original songs.
Dolly Mandal also said that in 2019, she made it to the top 10 in the music reality show ‘Magic Bauliana’. At that time, it was a dream to be the first. The top 10 means intense excitement.
How did you feel about being in the top10 When asked, she said, “I expressed my interest in participating in the music reality show ‘Magic Bauliana’ in 2019. When I said my interest, everyone has a desire to see themselves on the television screen.
Moreover, on such a big platform, everyone will know everyone. It is natural for artists to have such hopes. I also wanted to participate in the competition. At that time, I was learning from Guruji Baul Shafi Mandal.”