Bhawaiya, songs of the northern plains

Bhawaiya folk songs from Rangpur and nearby areas tell of love, longing and the lives of cart drivers and river people.

Bhawaiya is a folk song tradition of the northern region, including Rangpur and Kurigram in Bangladesh and neighbouring parts of India. Sung in the local dialect, the songs often speak of separation, especially of women waiting for loved ones such as buffalo-cart drivers, or garials. The singing has a distinctive break in the voice, and is accompanied by the dotara. Abbasuddin Ahmed brought Bhawaiya to wide audiences in the 20th century, and it remains a proud part of northern identity.