The project has already started exploring folk songs and lyrics in Manikganj and will continue in seven other districts under Dhaka division (Dhaka, Narshindi, Narayanganj, Tangail, Gazipur, Kishoreganj and Munshiganj), BSA said.
Initially, 4,500 songs and lyrics by seven lyricists will be collected under the under 'Folklore Collection and Preservation Project 2020'. Of them, 450 are already completed songs and the rest are only lyrics without tunes, voiceovers and musical compositions.
The lyricists are - Rashid Sarkar, Saidur Rahman Boyati, Dewan Rashid, Voba Pagla, Gowhar Shah, Kanu Shah and Yab Alam Al Chishti.
Baul, Bhatiali, Bhawaiya, Gombhira, Jari, Shari, Shyama, and Kobi Gaan are some of the most unique style of Bengali traditional folk songs.
The BSA previously took a similar initiative in 2016 to preserve them.
It said it collected 13,481 folk songs from 21 districts (eight in Rangpur division, five in greater Faridpur, six in greater Mymensingh, Sunamganj in Sylhet and Jhenaidah in Khulna) and submitted to the National Archive during that year's project.
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