Bhawaiya

Bijon Kumar Roy

Call: 7384210273

Bijon Kumar Roy is a highly revered traditional Bhawaiya artist and son of the legendary Bhawaiya singer Biren Roy alias Kana Biren. Playing the Dotara (a traditional stringed music instrument) since he was barely seven, Bijon continued to pursue music with the utmost dedication even in the face of great economic hardships. His repertoire includes songs written by his father on the natural features and social dynamics of North Bengal. Bijon Kumar along with his wife Kaushalya are a popular duo of Bhawaiya music. For more details, click on the link mentioned below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dCve886HSI

Nityananda Adhikary

Call: 9564168770

Nityananda Adhikari started learning Bhawaiya at the age of 16 and recently he is under the guidance of Guru Manabendra Narayan Roy, the famous exponent of Bhawaiya of North Bengal.Nityananda bagged many awards in his early years and went on to stand first at Block level at the State Bhawaiya Festival. Hewas also awarded in the Folk category of Chhatra-Yuva Utsav 2019, organized by the West Bengal Government. Talented Nityananda sings Bhawaiya song with playing Dotara, the string instrument by his own.

Krishna Chandra Mohanta

Call: 8147729459

Krishna Chandra Mohanta of Alipurduar is a Bhawaiya exponent and teaches the traditional folk music to young generation.

Kaushalya Roy

Call: 8597332070

Daughter of singer parents, Kausalya has Bhawaiya in her blood. Her first appearance as a Bhawaiya performer was at the age of 8. The mellifluous voice of Kausalya impressed Biren Roy, a legend in Bhawaiya music so immensely that he got her married to his son. She has been awarded at Block level at the State Bhawaiya Festival. Overpowering the financial issues, she along with her husband, have made their presence felt in the world of Bhawaiya songs.

Sukheswar Dewri

Call: 8967499600

Sukheswar Dewri is a Bhawaiya Guru and and activist working for the revival of the genre. The practice of Bhawaiya music runs in his family, but his father did not want him to take up singing due to financial issues in the family. The love for the music did not deter him though. While in college, he set up theatre groups with his friends and included Bhawaiya songs in the presentations. That was the time when popular film songs were driving the traditional Bhawaiya to a back seat. The plays performed in the regional dialect, with Sukheswar in the lead role, attracted common people to the then declining Bhawaiya. Sukheswar Dewri has trained and initiated many next generation singers in the tradition and his son Himadri is one of them.

Kumar Manabendra Narayan

Call: 9933376307

Kumar Manabendra Narayan is an acclaimed Guru of Bhawaiya, from Tufangunj, Cooch Behar and a descendant of the Cooch Behar royal family. He got attracted to Bhawaiya songs by listening to the same being sung in between his father’s productions of Pala Gaan. Manabendra Narayan’s initiation to Bhawaiya was at the age of 10, from his father Manindra Narayan. He has done numerous performances and has composed many Bhawaiya plays like Nithua Pathare Kajol Bhoromora, Ei Juger Daini, Sonar Songsar, Kokilar Kandon based on the life of the king of Rajmahal Lakkhin Narayan. He has been performing at the local Radio since 1972. Manabendra Narayan’s first record came out in 1980. He is a famous teacher and teaches Bhawaiya in 17 schools. Bhawaiya singer Nazrul Islam is also his student.

Malay Kinnar

Call: 7679432440

Malay Kinnar is an expert Dhol player who started learning to play the instrument at the age of 20. Trained by Balaram Hazra, a veteran Dhol player and a recipient of the Banga Ratna Award of the Government of West Bengal, Malay was conferred the same award in 2016. He also had the honor of performing before the former President of India, Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. A regular artist for All India Radio and television channel Doordarshan, Malay has performed at events across India, in Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, Goa and Assam. He has also performed in Bangladesh. Malay has also played for many Bhawaiya albums.

Dipankar Roy Dakua

Call: 9932257022

Dipankar Roy Dakua, a leading flute player, Dipankar was born at Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri district in 1980 and learned the art of playing the instrument from Subhas Sarkar of Bangladesh, Prabhu Gouranga Das who specialized in classical music, and Jatan Roy who specialized in Bengali folk music. Dipankar is a regular artiste for All India Radio for over five years now. He also plays regularly for the Doordarshan television channel. He has performed across India, in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Goa, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and at the Sur Jahan World Peace Music Festival in Kolkata. He has also performed in Bhutan, where he was hosted by the office of Bhutan’s King, and in Nepal and Bangladesh.