The Revolutionary Playlist Episode 27: Aruni Kashyap
When we think of revolutionary music in Assam, four towering figures come to our mind: the indigenous singer and artist Bishu Rabha, from the Rabha tribe; Bhupen Hazarika; Jyotiprasad Agarwala, born in a Marwari family in Assam; and finally, Hemango Biswas, born in a Bengali family in Assam. The music, culture, and literature of Assam can’t be imagined without the contribution of these artists: they were multifaceted artists: singers, composers, lyricists, dramatists, essayists, etc. These artists created songs about all kinds of social evils: British colonialism, feudalism, patriarchy, ethnic chauvinism, etc. The songs in these lists are still popular, and they sing about love, harmony between communities, and remind us of the healing and unifying powers of music in a multilingual, multi-ethnic society such as Assam.
The Playlist
- Bishnu Rabha, Bol Bol Krishak Sakti Bol
- Jyoti Prasad, Luitor Parore Ami Deka Lora
- Jyoti Prasad, Bishwa Bijayi Navajowan
- Bhupen Hazarika, Juboti Anamika Goswami Aru Jubak Prasanta Das
- Bhupen Hazarika, Jaya Jaya Nabajata Bangladesh
- Dolly Ghosh, Asomee Aaire Lalita Palita
- Haradhon Rongman Katha
- Bhupen Hazarika, Agni Jugor Phiriingoti Moi, Notun Asom Gorhin
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Aruni Kashyap is the author of His Father’s Disease: Stories (Context, 2019), a novel The House With a Thousand Stories (Penguin 2013) and a poetry collection called There Is No Good Time for Bad News (Future Cycle Press, 2021). He is an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Georgia, Athens. He tweets @AruniKashyap