Bullu and Mitali Ghosh with their newly released music CDs in Ranchi on Tuesday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Nagpuri music is once again set to hit the high notes.

Ranchi-based musical couple Bullu and Mitali Ghosh is back with three Nagpuri albums — Mile Abe Sajna, Alna Dalna and Kortiya Phool — on the occasion of Karma festival that will be celebrated on September 26.

The albums, comprising six songs each, were recently launched and about 3,000 copies released so far have already flooded music stores in the state capital. The audio CDs are priced at Rs 30 each.

Bullu, who has embarked on a mission to revive Nagpuri folk songs, said they tried to retain the traditional beat. “We are sure that the songs will strike the right chord with music lovers, who always look forward to some innovation in Nagpuri music,” he said.

“We have not only included traditional Nagpuri beats, but also took help of local folk singers to keep the tribal flavour alive,” Ghosh said.

Bullu and wife Mitali, who had hit headlines for Kolaveri Di’s Nagpuri version Kaale Moke Khis Lage, had been working on the albums for the past six months so that they could launch the same on the occasion of Karma festival, when the tribals worship nature.

“We wanted to keep a 100-year-old tradition of Jharkhand alive through our music. Our aim is to revive the Nagpuri music, which is getting lost in the modern era, and it is during such special occasions that we can do so,” Bullu said.

Earlier too, the couple, with the help of a clutch of tribal singers, had taken Nagpuri music, which remains confined to the hinterland, to new heights. Their two albums — Hawan Hawan Mein and Kunwari Nanadi — released earlier this year had made musical waves in India and abroad.

However, the couple rued that the Nagpuri music industry had taken a beating.

As Bullu put in: “Someone should come forward to give a fresh lease of life to the dying Nagpuri music industry. Youngsters these days are more taken in with modern songs, the shelf life of which is very short. Folk artistes, on the other hand, are still carrying on the old tradition but have little exposure. They need the right platform to take their music to more and more people,” he said.

Speaking about the folk singers they worked with during the making of the latest albums. “These artistes don’t wish to hog the limelight or expect accolades for their talent. Instead, they are extremely dedicated to their own brand of music and have devoted their entire life to it. This makes their contribution all the more valuable,” Bullu said.

As of now, the couple is waiting for the public’s response to their latest creations and hope that the songs will be appreciated by all age groups. A couple of songs like Jhur Kur Bon Lana Li Moi Karam from the album Alna Dalna have already started becoming popular, according to feedback received from music stores.