Folk music stalwart Sunil Karmakar no more

Veteran Baul singer Sunil Karmakar died early Friday morning at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment. He was 66.

Karmakar passed away at around 4:30am on February 6, leaving behind his wife, two sons, and a wide circle of admirers across the country’s folk music community.

Born on January 15, 1959, in Bandanal village of Kendua upazila, Netrokona, Sunil Karmakar began his musical journey at the age of seven. Over the decades, he became a familiar and commanding presence at folk gatherings, known for his full-bodied, emotionally charged voice and his ability to hold an audience on his own.

Image

Beyond singing, Karmakar was a skilled instrumentalist, proficient in the ektara, dotara, violin, tabla, and harmonium. His artistic path was deeply shaped by the music and philosophy of legendary Baul master Ustad Jalal Uddin Khan, whose songs inspired him to devote his life to folk and spiritual music.

Karmakar not only performed numerous songs by Ustad Jalal Uddin Khan but also composed melodies for many of them. Several of these performances gained wide popularity. He was also a prolific lyricist, having written nearly 200 songs over his career.

Mohammad Nazrul Islam, general secretary of the Mymensingh Divisional Baul Association, said Karmakar spent his life carrying spiritual messages to people through Baul and folk music. “For decades, he used song to awaken inner reflection and human values,” he said.

Image

Sunil Karmakar was more than a singer. He was a custodian of rural Bengal’s living folk tradition. Accompanied by the steady pulse of the ektara and dotara, his songs explored humanism, life philosophy, devotion, and love for the Creator. Music was his sole calling—his discipline, devotion, and way of life.

He earned particular acclaim for his rendition of the iconic Baul song “Manush Dhoro Manush Bhojo”, originally associated with Ustad Jalal Uddin Khan, though his repertoire extended far beyond it.

Ayesh Uddin Bhuiyan, a member of the Kendua Jalal Parishad, described Karmakar as a devoted follower of the Jalal tradition and a timeless Baul figure. “His absence cannot be filled,” he said. “His death has cast a shadow of grief over Kendua and the wider Netrokona region.”