Abdul Majid; [Performer]

Boillachairi songs

Music

Music (MUS)

Music

Goru dhoizzomley basi re basi (I catch cows selectively) is a Boillachairi song, performed in the Rohingya camps for the RCMC by Rohingya musician Abdul Majid.

In Rohingya language, boilla means cattle. Boillachairi are songs that are sung during rice threshing. Traditionally rice used to be threshed with cows in Rohingya hamlets. Now-a-days, many opt for automated machines; however, the boillchairi songs have stood the test of time. While threshing rice, the cows get tired by moving round and round. They often lose interest and sit. To keep the cows motivated, boillachiari songs are sung. The repetitive ‘le le’ sound helps them move in a pace. The animals also understand the lyrics and take cues for their next actions from the songs. As the cows move with the tempo of the song, rice gets threshed.