International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Call for Paper Volume 8, Issue 2 (March-April 2026) Submit your research before last 3 days of April to publish your research paper in the issue of March-April.
Submit Research Paper Join as a Reviewer

Plagiarism is checked by the leading plagiarism checker TurnItIn

Call for Paper

Volume 8 Issue 2
March-April 2026

Submit your research paper

Indexing Partners
Academia Advanced Sciences Index Bielefeld Academic Search Engine CiteSeer DRJI Google Scholar Independent Search Engine & Directory Network ISI (International Scientific Indexing) Issuu Mendeley Research Networks
RefSeek ResearcherId - Thomson Reuters ResearchGate Scirus Scribd Semantic Scholar UTeM - Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka Wiki for Call for Papers WorldCat Zenodo

*The Incorporation of Bhatiali Melodic Structure in Rabindranath Tagore’s Songs: Origins, Transformation, and Aesthetic Significance*

Author(s) Dr. Surajit NA Roy
Country India
Abstract This article examines the incorporation of Bhatiali melodic structures into selected songs of Rabindranath Tagore, situating the process within broader questions of folk–classical interaction, cultural translation, and modern musical aesthetics in colonial Bengal. Bhatiali, traditionally associated with the riverine life of Bengal’s boatmen, is characterized by expansive melodic contours, modal
fluidity, and a distinctive emotive ethos rooted in separation, longing, and existential reflection. Tagore’s engagement with this folk idiom was neither imitative nor archival; rather, it involved a deliberate process of transformation, whereby folk melodic elements were recontextualized within a refined poetic
and compositional framework. Employing an ethnomusicological and analytical approach, this study analyzes melodic phrases, scale usage, tonal gravity, rhythmic flexibility, and lyrical thematics in selected Rabindrasangeet compositions that exhibit Bhatiali influence. The article argues that Tagore preserved the affective core of Bhatiali—its sense of spatial vastness and emotional suspension—while adapting its musical grammar to suit literary sophistication, urban sensibilities, and pedagogical transmission. This synthesis enabled folk melody to function as a vehicle of modern artistic expression without losing its cultural resonance. By foregrounding Tagore’s creative mediation between oral folk tradition and composed art music, the study highlights his role in redefining Bengali musical modernity. The incorporation of Bhatiali emerges
not merely as stylistic borrowing, but as an aesthetic and philosophical strategy that bridges locality and universality, emotion and intellect, tradition and innovation. The article contributes to existing scholarship by offering a focused melodic analysis grounded in ethnomusicological theory, thereby deepening our understanding of Tagore’s musical imagination and the enduring dialogic relationship between folk music and elite cultural production.
Keywords *Rabindrasangeet; Bhatiali Folk Music; Ethnomusicology; Folk–Music Interaction; Tagore Studies*
Field Arts > Movies / Music / TV
Published In Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On 2026-01-22
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i01.67072
View / Download PDF File

Share this



E-ISSN 2582-2160
CrossRef

CrossRef DOI is assigned to each research paper published in our journal.

IJFMR DOI prefix is
10.36948/ijfmr

Downloads
Research Paper Format Copyright Permission Form and Undertaking Form Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 2Cover Page Vol 8 Isu 1Cover Page Vol 7 Isu 6

All research papers published on this website are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, and all rights belong to their respective authors/researchers.

CC-BY-SA Open Access

About IJFMR
Fees & Payment
Current Issue
Publication Archive 		Submit Research Paper
Track Submission Status
Publication Guidelines
Publication Ethics
Peer Review & Plagiarism 		Join as a Reviewer
Editors & Reviewers
Reviewer Referral Program
Get Reviewer Membership Certi. 		Website/Journal Policies
Usage Policy
Content Policies
Privacy Policy
Contact Us +91-9687-828-838 editor@ijfmr.com
Powered by Sky Research Publication and Journals