Songs of the Soil

In origins the Santals are among the earliest known indigenous peoples of the Indian subcontinent, belonging to the Munda group of the Austroasiatic ethnolinguistic family. Their history predates Aryan and Dravidian settlement, marking them as first settlers of the sub-Himalayan plains and plateau regions. Linguistic and anthropological evidence suggests that the Santals once lived in forested tracts of Northern Bangladesh, practicing hunting, gathering, chanting, and shifting cultivation before transitioning to settled agriculture. Their lineage continued till today with many sacred and valuable knowledge systems and practices.

The oral traditions of Santal tell stories of nature, love, migration, struggle, bonding and survival— epics carried through songs, myths, and storytelling. Unlike written civilizations, Santali history has been preserved in memory, song, and ritual, making cultural practices essential carriers of identity. In many of the present Santali communities, they preserved their original instruments and playing techniques, combining their lifestyle and traditional festivities. This project is to explore and understand the musical essence that Santal of North Bangladesh behold.