| Honorific Prefix: | Baul |
| Shah Abdul Karim | |
| Native Name: | শাহ আবদুল করিম |
| Native Name Lang: | bn |
| Birth Place: | Derai, Assam, British India (now Sunamganj district, Bangladesh) |
| Birth Date: | 15 February 1916 |
| Death Place: | Sunamganj, Sylhet, Bangladesh |
| Module: | |
Baul Shah Abdul Karim (bn|শাহ আবদুল করিম; 15 February 1916 – 12 September 2009)[1] was a Bangladeshi Baul musician and philosopher. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Baul musicians, he was called '
Karim was born on 15 February 1911 in Derai in Sunamganj, Sylhet.[5] He took his initial lessons in Baul music and philosophy from Baul Rashid Uddin and Baul Shah Ibrahim Mastan Baksh.[5] In 1957, Karim began living in Ujan Dhol, a village near his home, with his wife, Aftabunnesa Bibi, whom he adoringly called Sarala (A simple girl).[5]
Contradicting the Baul tradition of lifelong celibacy, Shah Abdul Karim was married and had a son, Shah Nur Jalal, who followed his footsteps in becoming a Baul himself.[1]
Despite finding fame as a musician, Karim took farming as his primary profession and was a farmer until his old age.
Karim died in Sylhet on 12 September 2009 due to respiratory problems.[6]
Karim wrote and composed over 1600 songs.[5] The Bangla Academy has translated ten of his songs into the English language.[7]
Karim's songs are organized in six books:
Karim's work had fallen out of mainstream until the early 2000s, when Habib Wahid released his debut album Krishno. The album was heavily influenced by Bangladeshi British musicians of Sylheti origin, such as Kaya; who were acquainted with Karim's music.[8] Krishno introduced the Bangladeshi audience with their first taste of folk fusion and was an instant hit.
Subsequently, several famous Bangladeshi artists including Dolchut and Muza sang their own renditions of Karim's songs.