Siliguri, March 30: Dolly Sinha cannot hold back her tears as she sings Mor Sona Chhariya Ore Gechhe, a lahankari song.

?I cannot stop becoming emotional when I sing these songs. Lahankari actually comes from the words loi, which means tear, and hankar meaning call. It lifts my spirits and makes me feel happy,? she says excitedly after the performance-cum-workshop held at the Rabindra-Bhanu Mancha of North Bengal University yesterday.

Organised by the Centre for Cultures and Languages, the event was held to document the various forms of folk art in north Bengal such as bhawaiya, baul, palatia (a form of folk opera) and musical instruments such as dotara and flute.

Sinha and group were there to represent the lahankari genre, a dying art form that they were trying desperately to revive.

Similar to bhawaiya, this folk music has its origin in the Terai region of Darjeeling district and is sung in simple Rajbanshi. The lyrics are based on sad tales of life while those of the bhawaiya, on the other hand, are philosophical.

?At present, there are six groups in the region which sing lahankari, which shows that one of the oldest forms of folk music is making a comeback,? said Paresh Chandra Roy, the lead singer of the group.

?Till recently, there was hardly any singer who wanted to make a career out of this folk music. The very identity of this folk art form suffered an identity crisis as people began to confuse it with bhawaiya. The All India Radio also mistakenly added to the confusion and played Mor Sona Chhariya Ore Gechhe as a bhawaiya song.?

But thanks to enthusiasts like Sinha and Roy, the AIR got to know of its mistake and played it once again as a lahankari number.

?There was no one to teach me this form of art. I had to hunt for people who sang this form of music in villages across Darjeeling,? added Sinha, who received a national scholarship to study folk music in 2002.

Jitendra Nath Roy, the gidal (lead singer) of his palatia group, said his greatest fear was the extinction of the folk music he sang.

?There was a time when we did not know, if we would be able to take our tradition any further. But now there is hope,? said the singer from Jalpaiguri.

?We have received some funds from the government. It has also provided us with some instruments and offered a couple of opportunities to perform across the state. We hope for a better future as even the NBU has been showing interest,? said Roy, who is hoping to make the best of this season.

For once the monsoon sets in, this singer will have to dump his dotara for the plough.