Shah Abdul Karim Biography
Shah Abdul Karim was a legendary Bengali musician,
composer, lyricist and musician of Bangladesh.
He took Baul music to a unique height.
He composed over five hundred songs in his career.
He is called the Baul Emperor in Bengali folk music.
He was awarded the Ekushey Padak Award by the Bangladesh
government in 2001 for his outstanding contribution to Bengali
music.
Shah Abdul Karim was born on 15 February 1916 to Ibrahim Ali
and Nayorjan in Dirai Upazila of Sunamganj District,
present-day Bangladesh.
He received his primary education in music from his Baul guru
Shah Ibrahim Mastan Baksh at a very young age.
He married Aftab-un-Nesa, whom he called Sarla.
He has been living permanently in Ujandhol village,
near his birthplace, since 1957.
Along with the happiness and love of the people of Bhati region,
his songs speak against all injustice, injustice, superstition
and communalism.
He got inspiration for his songs from the philosophy of the
famous Baul emperors Fakir Lalon Shah, Panju Shah and
Duddu Shah.
Although poverty forced him to spend his labor on agriculture,
nothing could stop him from creating songs.
He received initiation into Baul music from Sadhak Rashid Uddin,
Shah Ibrahim Mastan Baksh.
He also practiced Shariati, Marfati, Dehattav, Gana Sangeet and
other branches of Baul music and singing.
Baul Emperor Shah Abdul Karim passed away on September 12,
2009.
He breathed his last at a clinic in Sylhet on Saturday at 7:58 am
that day. Abdul Karim, who was undergoing treatment at the
Nurjahan Poly Clinic in Sylhet, had been kept alive with life
support since Friday afternoon, September 11.
