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This song was written and originally composed by the renowned Indian singer and lyricist Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, who was also a politician, poet, musician and filmmaker. It was written in his native Assamese language, followed by a Bengali version. A Hindi version was released during the 1990s and eventually incorporated in a 2003 film, “Gangajal”, [meaning the holy water of the River Ganges]. Most of Hazarika’s songs were about humanitarian issues, focusing on the suffering of mankind.
The lyrics of this song are thematically very similar to Paul Robeson’s famous “Old Man River”, [Showboat, 1936] which had addressed the Mississippi in the same way. Addressed to the River Ganga, [Ganges], considered to be a holy river, the lyrics refer to the general decline of human values and the suffering of humanity, and questions the river as to how and why it goes on flowing in the midst of so much suffering on both sides of its riverbanks. It asks why, when people are screaming with grief all along the riverbank, how can the river be so indifferent and just go on flowing? With humanity so corrupted and all moral values erased, instead of just calmly flowing, it asks why the river water cannot just wash over and dissolve all suffering or, failing that, why can’t it turn those who are suffering into men of action, to rise up and fight to end their pain.

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from Ghazals & Thumris From The Musical Heart of Budapest, released January 27, 2023

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Shining a light on South Asian music.

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