Baul, European folk music to come together in concert at Oxford

An organisation called The Celebration of British Bangladeshi Culture and the Oxford Trobadors musical group have organised a fusion concert of Bangladeshi Baul and European folk music to celebrate the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence and the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s ascension to the throne.

Anwar Choudhury, former British ambassador to Bangladesh, made the announcement at a press conference on Saturday.

The show has been titled ‘Celebrating the Soul of Music.’ Music group Oxford Trobadors will attempt to fuse European music with tunes by Baul Shah Abdul Karim.  

The event, to be held at the Sheldonian Theatre in England’s Oxford city on Jun 5, will be the first of its kind, according to the organisers. 

Denis Noble, emeritus professor of Cardiovascular Physiology at the University of Oxford and a member of the Trobadors, said he has taught in six languages, but this is his first time working with Bangla music.

Anwar said that a free tour of Oxford University has been arranged on the day of the event to motivate British-Bangladeshi children to study at the university. The concert will be held in the evening.

"This will be an exceptional event for British-Bangladeshis living in Oxford. Italian opera singer Rossella Bondi, a member of Oxford Trobadors, and others along with Bengali artists Baul Shahid, Hasi Rani, and Gouri Choudhury will perform numbers by Shah Abdul Karim.”