1. Introduction: When Songs Became Slogans
In Bengal, music has never been only a leisure activity; it has always had a lot of meaning. Step into a village fair, or amble across a college campus, or sit with workers at their raucous rally, and you will hear how songs embody narratives, suffering, and aspirations. Within this world, Gonosangeet, or ‘songs of the masses,’ has a special status. Gonosangeet were not made to be enjoyed late at night in parlors or for the aesthetic appreciation of the classical tradition in concert halls. They were made to be shouted in the streets; to be sung in chorus, standing still in open air; to be sung out of the throat of hundreds on the march for change. More than melody, Gonosangeet was about courage. It reminded the weary farmer of his dignity, gave the factory worker a rhythm to march to, and encouraged students to question authority. It was music that held hands with history.
Most interestingly, Gonosangeet is slightly different from the other protest songs of India as well as Bengal and has its own identity in particular. It is also different from nationalistic songs, often termed as ‘Swadeshi Songs’. To define Gonosangeet, Hemanga Biswas, one of the luminaries of this kind of music, once said that, “Gonosanngeet was born at the estuary where the sense of nation merged with the mass consciousness and mixed with the sea of ideology of internationalism of the working class”.
2. Origin: Born from Fire and Famine
The roots of Gonosangeet can be traced back to a Bengal struggling under the weight of colonial rule, famine, and inequality. Kazi Nazrul Islam is believed to be one of the foremost composers of Gonosangeet. Even some of the compositions of Rabindranath Tagore, like ‘Byartha Praner Aborjona’ and ‘Bandh Bhenge Dao’, beautifully capture the essence of Gonosanngeet as well. But, in the 1940s onwards, Gonosangeet, in its true nature, began to make its presence in the political scenario of Bengal.
Just imagine the Bengal of the 1940s: fields left barren, workers underpaid, and streets echoing with calls for independence. In such a setting, music naturally became more than art—it became survival. Composers like Hemanga Biswas and Salil Chowdhury became some of the earliest torchbearers, who sharpened the genre of song with poetic brilliance, turning raw emotion into powerful anthems. Later, luminaries like Debabrata Biswas, Hemanta Mukherjee, Nirmalendu Chowdhury, and Dilip Bagchi also gained popularity by featuring the voice of the masses through their melodies and compositions. In the Tebhaga peasant movement, they became the soundtrack of resistance.
Gonosangeet was not born in polished studios; it was born in hunger marches, in whispered promises of freedom, and in the collective cry of “we will not bow down.”
3. How it Flourished: A Chorus for the People
The rise of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) in 1943 gave Gonosangeet its most vibrant platform. With the slogan “People’s Art for People’s Sake,” IPTA took art out of elite spaces and brought it to factory gates, peasant uprisings, and village grounds.
Besides, Calcutta Youth Choir (1958), led by Ruma Guha Thakurta, also helped to carry forward Gonosangeet and to make a presence of it among the elite class people as well.
Unlike solitary romantic ballads, Gonosangeet was designed for many voices together. It had simple, catchy melodies that were sung by the workers while they pulled rickshaws and by the farmers in the paddy fields. This was a strength rather than a weakness, as every refrain was like a shared heartbeat. It was occasionally embellished by flutes, accordions, and drums, but fundamentally it remained unchanged—a collective song of the people rather than an entertainment event performed for an audience.
4. Two Distinct Variations: Anger and Aspiration
Though united in spirit, Gonosangeet grew in two distinct directions:
4.1 Songs of Protest
Some songs were simply raw cries of defiance against hunger, exploitation, and broken promises. Their lyrics painted stark images—empty bowls, ragged children, and shackled hands. For instance, ‘Ora Amader Gaan Gaite Dey Na’ of Hemanga Biswas, ‘Hei Samalo Dhan Ho’, and ‘Pathei Ebar Namo Sathi’ of Salil Chowdhury can be counted in this category.
4.2 Songs of Hope and Vision
The second stream was gentler yet equally powerful. These songs spoke of dawns yet to come—of equality, fraternity, and dignity. They comforted the broken and reminded people that their fight was not just against something but also for something. ‘O Alor Pothojathri’ by Salil Chowdhury is one of the finest examples of this category of Gonosangeet.
Together, protest and hope made Gonosangeet whole—like two notes in harmony. One roused people to rise; the other gave them strength to keep going.
5. Reference to Popular Culture: From Streets to Cinema
Gonosangeet could never be limited to rallies. It quickly made its way into popular culture, especially through films. Salil Chowdhury easily blended Gonosangeet with film music, transferring the intense spirit from one to the other. In such instances, Gonosangeet transformed into something greater than just a style; it turned into an actual cultural memory, shared like a constantly living legacy.
6. Current Status: Between Memory and Renewal
Today, the role of Gonosangeet is more complicated. The colonial rulers are gone, and Bengal’s famine-stricken days are behind, yet inequality, corruption, and social unrest remain. However, with Bollywood hits and digital entertainment dominating popular taste, Gonosangeet no longer thrives as a mainstream genre. For many, it feels like a nostalgic echo of the past, sung by cultural troupes during commemorations rather than in movements that demand change.
And most importantly, as well as most harshly, Gonosangeet, till today, is associated with the Marxist Political ideology, and with the change of political currents in Bengal, it has lost its popularity.
Yet, Gonosangeet refuses to die. On YouTube, young singers are rediscovering Salil Chowdhury’s verses, sometimes remixing them with rock or rap, sometimes staying true to the raw choral tradition. Recently, in one of the most popular music reality shows of Bengal, a little girl, Aratrika Sinha, gained popularity, presenting ‘Pathei Ebar Namo Sathi’. Different political parties, nowadays, are taking the influences of Gonosangeet and featuring them in their own campaigns and theme songs.
In an era of increasing individualism, the collective nature of Gonosangeet— where voices merge into one— remains both refreshing and relevant. Its return as a cultural practice may not be as massive as before, but it continues to whisper reminders of solidarity in times of social fragmentation.
7. Conclusion: The Chorus that Still Walks with Us
Gonosangeet was never about virtuosity or fame; it was always about people standing together and raising their voices till they became one. Gonosangeet was born in the womb of a crisis, nurtured by movements for justice, and carried to the world by films and processions. It became the soundtrack of Bengal’s collective conscience.
Yes, maybe this genre is not as visible on the streets of Bengal as it was before, but its spirit, solidarity, resilience, and shared humanity continue to resonate. Wherever people sing together for a common cause and wherever music provides a voice to the voiceless, there will be the spirit of such places. As long as there are struggles to fight and dreams to pursue, I hope that the people’s song will never fade.
REFERENCES:
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