Bhatiali

Bhatiali is a type of ancient folk music which expresses the deep feeling from the heart of a group of local and professional people. It is based on their common and natural style of expression and uninfluenced by the rules of conventional music and contemporary songs. Bhatiali song expresses not only loss, pain and memory but also the human understanding of nature. Bhatiyali songs are a genre of folk ballads originating from the riverine regions of Bengal, which have a strong ecological connection.

Bhatiali or bhatiyali (Bengali: ভাটিয়ালি) is a form of bengali folk music, sung in both Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. The word 'Bhatiali' came from the bengali word "Bhata", which means the low tide of any river or ocean. The Bhatiali songs are basically sung by the boatmen who are known as "Majhi" or "Mallahs" while going down streams of the river.