It is still mid-afternoon in Paris, when Mimlu Sen picks up this writer’s call and introduces us to Paban Das Baul. Paban Da, as he is known, does not let the hesitancy of language come in the way of good conversation. He is excited that we have heard about his solo debut in Mumbai, Kaimattam, curated by Neenu Jacob.

Wandering thoughts

Born in the small village of Mamudpur in Murshidabad, Paban Das Baul took to wandering with his father, and his brothers at the age of six after his father fell ill. “We used to sing keertans,” he shares. They eventually moved to Sainthia, where he learned Baul music from his father’s guru.