About Paban Das Baul and Jonny Wartel
Paban Das Baul and Jonny Wartel is a collaborative studio album by Bengali baul musician and folk philosopher Paban Das Baul and Danish multi-instrumentalist and composer Jonny Wartel. The album released in 2003 under the independent label Gravitation in CD format. It marks a cross-cultural fusion of traditional baul music from Bengal with contemporary Western instrumental arrangements.
The album contains nine tracks that blend Das Baul’s vocal performances, ektara (one-stringed drone instrument), and khamak (percussive string instrument) with Wartel’s contributions on guitar, keyboards, and electronic textures. The lyrics draw from baul poetic traditions, exploring themes of divine love, existential inquiry, and social observation. The songs alternate between Bengali and English, with some tracks incorporating both languages.
Notable compositions include Rai Bandona/Prayer to Radhu, a devotional piece addressing the Hindu goddess Radha, and Ingineri Aguner Kol/The Fire Engine, which juxtaposes folk metaphors with modern imagery. Holam Aami Ojana/Knowing All, I Know Nothing reflects the baul philosophy of paradoxical wisdom, while Bashi Tui Bajhis Na/Stop That Flute employs rhythmic interplay between traditional and electronic elements. Elo Prem Rosher Kashan/The Seller of Love Juice and Mori Ki Koler Bati/Lamp of Eternity further develop the album’s lyrical focus on spiritual longing and transcendence.
Other tracks such as Ultodanga Jai/Upside-Down Shore and Dao Ma Makhan Noni/Give Me Butter, Mother incorporate playful, allegorical storytelling, a hallmark of Das Baul’s style. The closing track, Nari Niye Shobai Ghar Kare/Men Who Make Homes With Women, critiques societal norms through satirical lyrics. The production retains the raw, improvisational quality of live baul performances while integrating Wartel’s studio techniques.
The album’s release in 2003 followed a period of international collaboration between the artists, though specific recording locations and session details remain undocumented. It received distribution primarily in Europe and India, catering to audiences of world music and experimental folk. No official chart positions or commercial performance data are publicly available.