Palagaan at Bengal Shilpalaya
A secular narrative of 'Ramayana'
Cultural Correspondent
Madhab Gonshai and his troupe from the Gopal community of Kustia delighted the Dhaka audience with their performance of Pala Gaan (narrative of epics or folklore) on August 2 at Bengal Shilpalaya. Their performance of the pala, Ashwamedhjaggo from Ramayana that narrates the story of Ramchandra, Sita and their two sons -- Lob and Kush, presented a rare opportunity for the city dwellers to celebrate the richness of our cultural heritage.In the secular performance, the palakaars celebrated Ram, a saviour of humankind. The world has seen several avatars like Ram -- appearing in different cultures with different names but with the same purpose; devoting their lives to humanity. Celebrating one of these characters implies celebrating humanity. Madhab and his troupe represented Rama-yana addressing contemporary issues of the world. Thus, through their narration Rama-yana becomes contemporary. The performance began with a musical overture by Madhab Gonshai. It was followed by the main part of the performance rendered by Ram Gonshai along with choral singing and instrumentals by other members of the troupe. Ram Gonshai delivered a non-stop three-hour long performance. The lead vocalist depicted the mythology in lyrical form. Another singer engaged with Ram Gonshai in a dual performance in the form of a conversation. The performance heightened the effect of songs by rendering a few words and exchanging dialogues. Ram Gonshai danced along with the singing. Besides narrating the events, he enacted different characters of the epic. Interspersed with the lyrical passages were sections of improvised prose. In these passages, the vocalist described parts of action accompanied by appropriate gestures and movements. Occasionally he switched from narrative to dialogues with the help of a group member. The narrator directly conveyed his thoughts on different contemporary issues especially communalism and secular, humanist values. The Gopal community of Kustia has been performing different palas on Ramayana for seven generations. The troupe, comprising six musicians and a lead vocalist, is led by Madhab Gonshai. Madhab Ghonshai plays the harmonium, Shadhan Biswas and Bhajan Biswas are on khol, Banku Biswas on banshi (bamboo flute), Naswaran Roy on kortal and Pradip Adhikari on the key board. Palakaars have been entertaining and educating the masses, mainly the rural population, for generations and their endeavours continue till date. At a time when there is little access for the masses to healthy entertainment, their activities is much needed and appreciated. Bengal Foundation organised the programme.
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