Bhawaiya
Bhawaiya is a musical form or a popular folk music that originated in Northern Bengal, especially Rangpur Division in Bangladesh, Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, India and Undivided Goalpara district of Assam, India. A "working class" music, with the recurring figures of "mahouts" (elephant trainers and catchers), "mahishals" (buffalo herders) and "gariyals" (cart drivers) the lyrics of these songs express pangs of separation and loneliness of their womenfolk, with elongated tones accentuating pain, longing and "deep emotion". Generally believed to have originated in the 16th century under the Koch king Vishwa Singha, it has evolved into stage performances  since the 1950s and more widely since the 1990s. The lyrics of Bhawaiya songs are non-denominational. Origin of the name "Bhawaiya". There are various explanations of the meaning of Bhawaiya. Low-lying land with shrubs and other vegetables are called "Bhawa". Buffalo keepers used to sing this song while ploughing. Hence the name "Bhawaiya" came to exist. According to some other researchers," Bhawaiya" is derived from the word "Bawaiya," which is subsequently derived from the word "bao" (breeze). The derivative of the word "Bhawaiya" is "Bhav" > "Bhao" + "Iya" = "Bhawaiya". So the derivative meaning of this word  is "emotionally charged". According to Abbas Uddin, a notable singer and composer of Bhawaiya song, this song is like the random and pleasant wind blowing of North Bengal and it is named as Bhawaiya. According to a survey( conducted by the Folk cultural and tribal cultural centre, Government of West Bengal) among the performers of Bhawaiya song the name is derived from the word "Bhao" > "Bhav". These songs carry a deep "emotion" of "biraha" or separation and loneliness. Performer. Bhawaiya is performed by Koch-Rajbongshis, Deshis and other Assamese communities in Western Assam. In North Bengal, most dominant performers  in the Bhawaiya are the Koch Rajbanshi (a specific and separate ethnicity) and the Bengalis. But the non-Bengalis and non-rajbanshis of the area also partake in this music. Nowadays some of the well-known Bhawaiya songs are adopted in Bangladeshi Cinema, West Bengali Cinema and Assamese Cinema as well as in some modern folk bands. Musicology. Folk song is characterised by a typical tonal structure which reflects specific natural, environmental and work related factors, topographical condition, ethnic and phonetic characteristics of the region. The following tonal structure is generally used in Bhawaiya music: S R M P D  n... S R G M P n... M P D n D n D P M... n n S R G G M G R S ... etc. (S=Sharaja, R= Rishava, G= Gandhara, M= Madhyama, P=Panchama, D=Dhaivata, n= flattened Nishada). Flattened tone of S, R, G, D, P and sharpen tone of M are not used in this folk song. Use of only flattened n is also a fundamental characteristic of Bhawaiya song. Dn Dn - is one of the known tonal texture of this song. S and M are used comparatively more here. The melody  of this folk song generally does not go beyond the middle octave. But in some recent songs specially in catka the tune goes up to the upper octave. Bhawaiya songs are sung in a higher pitch. Typical voice modulation is characteristic of this folk song. Many microtunes are used with the main tune and pitch for this voice modulation. Film. Bangladeshi film director Shahnewaz Kakoli's movie "Uttarer Sur" (Northern Symphony) is based on the life of a Bhawaiya singer. It tells the story about the gradual demise of this folk song from the northern part of Bangladesh, due to  poverty. This movie was screened in 18th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).