Free Daily Podcast Summary
Banyan Roots: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Lucia Thomas
Banyan Roots is a podcast series in which songs and discussions from musical mystics of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh guide conversations on history, ethnomusicology, and spirituality. Featuring original field recordings of spontaneous jams and interviews with Baul musicians and teachers.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 3 weeks ago48 min
In the Garden of Krishna’s Love
In the Garden of Krishna’s Love is the first episode to explore bhakti - devotion, and specifically songs showing devotion to Hindu Gods and Goddesses. We will hear from Baul masters on the importance of devotion in one’s spiritual progress as well as learn the historical significance of the Bhakti movement in India. ********** Songs: Bhakti Bina Se Dhon Mele Na Composer: Sotish Gosai Singer: Anath Bondhu Ghosh Eseche Kunjero Dware Composer: Jadubindu Gosai Singer: Rina Das Baul Krishna Anurager Bagane Composer: Ananta Gosai Singer: Rabi Das Baul Instrumentals: Jekhane Sai’r Baramkhana Composer: Lalon Fakir Dotara Player: Amirul Fakir Rai Jago Go Composer: Traditional Performed by: Ochin Pakhi featuring Nathan Torrence on bansuri Kirtan Chant Composer: Traditional Singer: Priest and devotees at Hare Krishna Temple in Rogers Park, Chicago Ei To Tomar (intro) Composer: Rabindranath Tagore Performed by: Ochin Pakhi, featuring Soumyajyoti Ghosh on bansuri Khandana Bhava Bandhana Composer: Swami Vivekananda Performed by: Ochin Pakhi Many thanks to Biplab Ghosh, Arnab Sengupta, Rina and Manosij Goswami for help in the field, to Gene Nemirovsky for audio engineering, to Subhajit Sengupta for co-hosting, to the Fulbright-Nehru program and to all the musicians and teachers who recorded for this show. Podcast is recorded, curated and hosted by Lucia Thomas. For photos and more info please visit Amplisounds Radio.
- Apr 24, 202641 min
Rejecting Caste: All are Brothers of my Heart
“Rejecting Caste – All are Brothers of my Heart" is a further exploration of manus twatto - the theory of humanity, this time focused on jat, or caste. Some Fakiri singers will discuss what caste felt like to them and what the great poet-saint Lalon Fakir had to say about caste. **** Songs: “Jat Gelo Jat Gelo Bole” Composer: Lalon Fakir Singer: Amirul Fakir “Sorol Dese Jao” Composer: Matal Rajjak Singer: Jamsher Fakir “Nishedh Karo Ogo Brinde” Composer: Ajahar Fakir Singer: Khaibar Fakir Recording courtesy of: Suvankar Dassharma & Sudip Ray (Dubki project) “Achhe Manus Hridoy Pinjiray” Composer: Prafulla Sarkar Singer: Uttara Baidya “Manus Bhojle Sonar Manus Hobi” Composer: Lalon Fakir Singer: Jamsher Fakir Instrumental Backgrounds: 1. Jekhane Shai’r Baramkhana Composer: Lalon Fakir Dotara Player: Amirul Fakir 2. Jat Gelo Jat Gelo Composer: Lalon Fakir Dotara player: Amirul Fakir 3. Snowflake and Inver Bank Band: Baba Yaga’s Stew Composers: Lucia Thomas and Patrick Davey 4. Raag Yaman Alap Violinist: Lucia Thomas Many thanks to Biplab Ghosh, Arnab Sengupta, Rina and Manosij Goswami for help in the field, to Gene Nemirovsky for audio engineering, to Subhajit Sengupta for co-hosting, to the Fulbright-Nehru program and to all the musicians and teachers who recorded for this show. Podcast is recorded, curated and hosted by Lucia Thomas For photos and more info please visit Amplisoundsradio
- Mar 27, 202640 min
Lalon’s Liberation: Worshiping in the Temple of the Mind
The Baul songs in this third episode challenge divisive religious identities and beg for a society where all humans treat each other well. It will share some background on the painful history of the partition of India as well as dive deeper into the life story of Lalon Fakir, the legendary Baul saint from the late 18th century. Sob Loke Koy Lalon Ki Jat Composer: Lalon Fakir Singer: Babu Fakir Emon Manob Somaj Composer: Lalon Fakir (attributed to Lalon Fakir but composer is unknown) Singer: Dolan Banerjee Ami Dil Kabate Namaz Porbo Composer: Lalon Fakir Singer: Ohidul Fakir Apnar Apni Fana Hole Composer: Lalon Fakir Singer: Dolan Banerjee Instrumentals: Jekhane Shai’r Baramkhana Composer: Lalon Fakir Dotara Player: Amirul Fakir Sob Loke Koy Lalon Ki Jat Composer: Lalon Fakir Dotara Player: Amirul Fakir Many thanks to Biplab Ghosh, Arnab Sengupta, Rina and Manosij Goswami for help in the field, to Gene Nemirovsky for audio engineering, to Subhajit Sengupta for co-hosting, to the Fulbright-Nehru program and to all the musicians and teachers who recorded for this show. Podcast is recorded, curated and hosted by Lucia Thomas For photos and more info please visit Amplisoundsradio
- Feb 27, 202640 min
Searching for the Man of the Heart
Searching for the Man of the Heart explores how Baul songs use the metaphor of the house to describe the human body, which, for the Baul, is the starting place for realization. In this episode, listeners hear lyrics with cryptic images that point toward what the Baul call the praner manus “the man of the heart”–a personification of one’s inner truth. Songs: Dhonno Dhonno - Lalon Fakir (composer)*, Supriya Poddar (singer) * Charyapada (First Song) - Lui Pad (composer), Srijoni Sadhika (singer) Ghor Niye Koto Jontrona - Anath Bondhu Ghosh (composer and singer) Amar Bhanga Ghore - Kingsuk Goshai (composer), Rabi Das Baul (singer) Barir Kachhe Aarshinagar - Lalon Fakir (composer), Ochin Pakhi (performer) *students of Babu Fakir Instrumentals: Jekhane Shai’r Baramkhana - Lalon Fakir (composer), Amirul Fakir (Dotara player) Dhonno Dhonno - Lalon Fakir (composer), Amirul Fakir (Dotara player) Ghor Niye Koto Jontrona - Anath Bondhu Ghosh (composer), Lucia Thomas (violinist) Youtube Links: Babu Fakir and his students: https://youtube.com/@babufakirofficial5603?si=6T-tG1r71DHXDaPa Sadhika Srijoni and Simon Zakaria: https://youtube.com/@charyapada7209?si=Pe31qLE6i3F31hZL Anath Bondhu Ghosh: https://youtu.be/ojMfb-PyWJg?si=Lxpr4vrYsGK-FpPJ Robi Das Baul: https://youtu.be/jjkfOVVMzi0?si=NyhSB6W6AK6XDIcE Ochin Pakhi: https://youtube.com/@ochinpakhichicago?si=tuCdiH_6U8UPeMmM Many thanks to Biplab Ghosh, Arnab Sengupta, Rina and Manosij Goswami for help in the field, to Gene Nemirovsky for audio engineering, to the Fulbright-Nehru program and to all the musicians and teachers who recorded for this show. Photo: "Bengal Patachitra" via Wikimedia Commons
- Jan 17, 202645 min
Songs of the Unknown Bird
This first episode explores Deho Twatto “theory of the body” in the Baul context, where the body itself is the starting point for spiritual understanding. Songs: Baul Howa Sohoj Kotha Noy Composer: Kangal Horinath Singer: Babu Fakir Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi Composer: Lalon Fakir Singer: Selina Fakirini Chirodin Pushilam Ek Ochin Pakhi Composer: Lalon Fakir Singer: Nurbaba Phaki Deowa Pakhi Re Tor Composer: Ammulyo Sarkar Singer: Uttora Baidya Instrumentals: Jekhane Shai’r Baramkhana Composer: Lalon Fakir Dotara Player: Amirul Fakir Gram Chhara Composer: Rabindranath Tagore Dotara Player: Amirul Fakir Khachar Bhitor Ochin Pakhi Composer: Lalon Fakir Violinist: Lucia Thomas Painting credit: Dipshikha Debnath For photos and more info please visit Amplisoundsradio Many thanks to Biplab Ghosh, Arnab Sengupta, Rina and Manosij Goswami for help in the field, to Gene Nemirovsky for audio engineering, to the Fulbright-Nehru program and to all the musicians and teachers who recorded for this show.
About Banyan Roots
Banyan Roots is a podcast series in which songs and discussions from musical mystics of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh guide conversations on history, ethnomusicology, and spirituality. Featuring original field recordings of spontaneous jams and interviews with Baul musicians and teachers.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from Banyan Roots in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Banyan Roots daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Banyan Roots as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Banyan Roots podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Banyan Roots product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Lucia Thomas.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
What topics does Banyan Roots cover?
Banyan Roots covers topics including History, Music. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Banyan Roots summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.