New album fuses rock music with baul songs

Fusing western rock music with traditional baul songs, folk-rock band Bolepur Bluez has launched their debut album 'The Soul Connection'.

"The current generation is more inclined towards rock music, club music and band format sounds. We have thus exploited these genres to globalise 'Baul' so that it's at home both on the rustic roads and the plush lounges," said drummer and band manager Kunal Kundu .

Having played more than 50 concerts in less than a year's time, Bolepur Bluez shot to fame when they reached the quarterfinals of television reality show India's Got Talent Khoj 2 last year.

Describing their band as the first "Baul Rock" act in the world, Kunal said, "The album is a fusion of baul and blues and both has a connection. It is the connection between soul from east and west".

Released by leading music company EMI, 'The Soul Connection' has been recorded and mixed by Subhajit Mukherjee, lead vocalist of Bangla band 'Lakhhichhara'.

There are seven folk songs in the album, sung by Kartick Das Baul, who has also lent his voice for films like Mangal Pandey — The Rising and The Namesake.