Section 36 Music: Shreya Pujari Unveils a Cross-Cultural Folk Anthem Bridging Nordic Myth, Assamese River Songs, and Rajasthani Poetry

Friday, January 23, 2026

Shreya Pujari Unveils a Cross-Cultural Folk Anthem Bridging Nordic Myth, Assamese River Songs, and Rajasthani Poetry

Singer, songwriter, and global folk artist Shreya Pujari releases her latest single, a rhythmically daring and emotionally rich song that weaves together Nordic folk tradition, Assamese river music, and Rajasthani lyrical poetry, creating a story of longing, crossing, and devotion across cultures.

Built in an uncommon 7/8 time signature, the song draws inspiration from Nordic seafaring folk songs, often associated with Viking-era imagery of crossing open seas, while grounding itself in Bhatiali, the river folk tradition of Assam. The song also incorporates Rajasthani lyrical imagery, adding an earthy, intimate dimension rooted in desert folk traditions of waiting, devotion, and romantic certainty.

At the heart of the song is the recurring call “naoriya”, a plea to the boatman, a figure found in folk traditions across South Asia that symbolizes fate, time, and the passage between separation and reunion. The boatman becomes a shared archetype, connecting the Nordic sailor, the Assamese river guide, and the lover waiting on the far shore.

“Calling out to the boatman felt universal,” says Pujari. “Whether it is a Nordic sailor crossing the sea or an Assamese boatman navigating the Brahmaputra, the image is the same. Someone asking to be carried toward love, home, or destiny.”

Lyrically, the song explores waiting for love, emotional distance, and the urgency of crossing obstacles, while the Rajasthani section introduces moments of tenderness and resolve, where longing gives way to faith and belonging. Together, these elements place the listener inside a journey that feels intimate, poetic, and mythic.

Sonically, the track fuses traditional folk instrumentation like the “Dotara” with modern global pop, allowing regional influences to coexist within a contemporary production framework.

A Berklee College of Music graduate and Fulbright-Nehru Research Scholar currently based in Assam, Pujari’s work is deeply informed by her research into Indigenous and folk music traditions, as well as her lived experience navigating identity, migration, and belonging. Her music centers global sounds within contemporary contexts, creating space for underrepresented musical languages in modern indie and sync landscapes.

This release continues Shreya Pujari’s mission to present folk traditions not as relics of the past, but as living and evolving forms capable of carrying deeply human stories across borders and generations.

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