Bhawaiya a genre of North Bengal folk song, is believed to have originated in Rangpur (a district in Bangladesh) and Cooch Behar (a district of West Bengal in India). The name of this folk song is generally about love between man and woman; derives its name from bhava (emotion). However, Bhawaiya songs may also be spiritual in theme as in 'fande pariya baga kande re' (the heron cries entrapped in a net), 'chhar re man bhaver khela' (O my mind, leave earthly games), etc.
Bhawaiya may be of two types: one draws out the voice in melancholy notes, while the other has a chatka or skipping tone. The first type is emotional in theme and usually about a young woman's tender feelings of love and separation. Some popular songs on these themes include 'oki gariyal bhai' (hey, cart-driver), 'je jan premer bhav jane na' (he who does not know the feelings of love), 'kon dyashe jan maishal bandure' (which country are you off to, oh buffalo rider, my friend?), 'nauton piritir baro jwala' (new love is highly painful), etc.
The fast paced chatka is comic and light. It is about expectations and ambitions, about conflicts between husband and wife as well as about the ups and downs of family life. A few of these songs include 'ore patidhan bari chhariya na yan' (O dear husband, please don't leave home), 'ore kainer myayar thashak beshi/ byaray shali tari tari' (the girl who has a superior gait/ Goes roaming), etc. A third type, called kshirol, is a combination of these two tunes. The two-stringed Dotara is the main musical accompaniment.
Abbasuddin Ahmed popularised bhawaiya songs all over Bangladesh . His daughter, Firdousi Rahman, and his son, Mustafa Zaman Abbasi, are well-known contemporary singers of Bhawaiya.
