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Bahurupee is a distinct form among the different folk forms found in West Bengal. Other than West Bengal Bahurupee folk form is found through out India. The name Bahurupee signifies a very diferent and colourful folk form. The Bahurupee's are secular in nature. Their main aim is to decorate themselves in the disguise of different dietis to entertain people and earn their living. They are specially found in rural Bengal. In West Bengal this folk form is mainly found in the districts of Birbhum and Bardhaman. Sri Subal Das Bairagya is an eminent and aged Bahurupee performer. He resides in Kulia village under Nanur Police Station of Birbhum. Born in the year 1942 he became interested in this folk form by seeing the performances of the Bahurupee's whose colourful disguises used to attracted him. He gained much more interest in this folk form by reading about the character of ‘Chhinath Bahurupeein the novel ‘Mej Dadaby Sri Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Since such a performer like him had created a school of himself in this folk form, the Centre made a documentary on this legend as documentation of his own distinct performances.
Fulti Gudali born in the year 1911 in CochBehar district of North Bengal. She is known as the empress of Shaitol which is one of the most popular a folk form of the Rajbanshi communitiy. Saitol is performed in the praise of Debi Shasti. The faith is after a child is born the family performs Shasti puja where Saito song accompanied by dances is performed in a group of six female. Fulti Gidali was an excellent singer and an expett dancer. She received many awards in her life time. Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre took an intiative to make a documentary on this living legend to document her distinctive style of dancing. She died on 22 August of 2019.
He was known as a dhol magician who used to mesmerize his audience with the charm of his magical hands. Born in Thakurganj village of Rangpur in Bangladesh, Bslaram Hazra started learning dhol from his paternal uncle Sarol Hazra from a very tender age. Later on his family settled down in Hazrapar in Dakshin Patkura village of Alipurduar. He is known as dhol master.Je learned playing dhol for ten years under the guidance of Tenu Badyakar of Alipurduar. He was selected as a guru for eighteen months training under the project Guru Parampara. He received the award Thakur Panchanan Barma from Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre. He aso received a pension from the State Government. He died in April 10 2017. A documentary on this legend was made from Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre as a mark of tribute to this great maestro of dhol.
A documentry is made on the making of string puppet ( tarer putul) and the puppetiets of Muragachha of Nadia from Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre for the purpose of documentation of this dying art form. There are usually four types of puppets found in West Bengal- String puppet, Rod puppet, Glove puppet and Shadow puppet. Since making a puppet is very costly as the puppetier had to prepare a number of puppets according to the character of the play. It is not possible for a poor puppetier to bear this cost and to maintain the musicians as well. Therefore this particular art form is on the way of extinction.In the documentary we find the total procedure of puppet making, decorating and the perfomance of plays.
Different tea estates are found in the tarai regions of West Bengal specially in North Bengal where tribes from different regions have inhabitated and have settled down and work as labourers in these tea estates. There had been an assimilation of a large number of tribes like Koch, Rajbanshi, Mech, Garo, Rava even some tribes like Oraon, Santhal, Malpaharia, Kheria, Munda,Lohar,Mahali and many others who have migrated from Chhotanagpur region. All these tribes have there own individual culture and style as well. But after living for many years together an assimilation and amalgamation of culture have occured. Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre took the initiative for making a documentary on various dances of the different tribes of tea estates as a part of documentation so that researchers and scholars may be benefitted from this in the long run. Various tribal dances of the tea estates - Jhaura, Jhumair, Sili, Sobru, Chyabrung and many other dances of the tribals have been documented.
Jhumur is a popular folk song found in the districts of Purulia, Bankura and some parts of Medinipur and Bardhaman. It is believed that the tune of Jhumur song had its origin in the red soil of these regions. Salabat Mahato is a renowned Jhumur singer from Latpoda village in Barabazaar Police Station of Purulia district of West Bengal.His father was Late Sudarshan Mahato and mother Late Sundari Mahato. He is recognised as a legeng of Jhumur.He was honoured with Lalon Puraskar from Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre in the year 1997. He was not only a singer but a composer of Jhumur song as well. A documentary was made on his life from Folk and Tribal Cutural Centre as a part of documentation.
Dwarendra Ishwarari is considered as one of the renowned personality of Mech culture was from Alipurduar district. He establshed an institution in Alipurduar for to rejuvinate the original songs and dances of the Mech community. He had also written a number of articles on Mech community. He died on 10 February 2015 at the age of 65 years. A documentary on him was made from Folk and Tribal Cultural Centre as a tribute to this legend.
