The Bauls

Mystic singers, wandering minstrels, the Baul of Bengal preserve one of the oldest and fascinating Indian Subcontinent tradition. 

Bauls constitute both a syncretic religious sect and a musical tradition. Bauls are a very heterogeneous group, with many sects. Born from the meeting of different religious expressions, such as Tantrism, Buddhism, Sufism, Vaishnavism & Islamism puts man at the very centre of universe. They consecrate their existence to dance, music and singing, conveying intimate joy, universal brotherhood, discovering of divine in man's heart. Though Bauls comprise only a small fraction of the Bengali population, their influence on the culture of Bengal is considerable.

Baul Song is almost exclusively performed by Bauls (hermits) who are followers of Sufism in Bangladesh. (Note that traditionally bauls were Hindus; Sufism was started following the lifestyle of Lalon Shah.) In Bangladesh, in the early days of Bauls who claimed to be Muslims, with greater focus on love of the society and harmony with nature, baul geeti had to go through a major struggle of survival as did the Bauls themselves. Bauls were subjected to harsh teasing and isolation. However, with time, Islamists were forced by the general population to accept the Bauls and their spiritual music as part of the society.

The Baul infact consider human body such as the sacred dwelling of Absolute which can be reached only trough a continuos interior search bringing to discover of the Man living inside man, the Divine which dwells in man, “Maner Manush”, the Man of heart. Mankind is sacred, so Baul profess universal brotherhood and refuse every difference of races, casts, religions, living free and detached from material things. The music of Baul expresses the inner joy, the happiness of love spreading from oneself trough old gesture and moving melodies arousing a pure and absolute meeting of hearts. This way the Baul live a free existence, without discrimination and rules, a life that makes of them forever foolish Baul.

They can often be identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments. 
These wandering master-singers of Bengal, play musical instruments made by themselves to accompany their songs:
EKTARA: an instrument with one string.
DUGI: a little drum.
DOTARA: a long necked instrument with four strings.
KHAMAK: a strange percussion and string instrument.
KOROTAL: Indian cymbals.
GUNGUR and NUPPUR, ankle instruments.

Baul music celebrates celestial love, but does this in very earthy terms, as in declarations of love by the Baul for his bosh-tomi or lifemate. With such a liberal interpretation of love, it is only natural that Baul devotional music transcends religion and some of the most famous baul composers, such as Lalon Fakir (the most famous Baul of history), criticized the superficiality of religious divisions:

Everyone asks: "Lalan, what's your religion in this world?"
Lalan answers: "How does religion look?"
I've never laid eyes on it.
Some wear malas [Hindu rosaries] around their necks,
some tasbis [Muslim rosaries], and so people say
they've got different religions.
But do you bear the sign of your religion
when you come or when you go?