পাণ্ডুলিপি নিয়ে আমার আগ্রহ বাড়ছে — কিথ ই. কান্তু My interest in manuscripts is growing — Keith E. Cantú

Abstract

This interview features a reflective conversation between American scholar Dr. Keith E. Cantú and Bangladeshi researcher Dr. Saymon Zakaria, focusing on Dr. Cantú’s journey into Bengali language, spiritual traditions, and music culture in Bangladesh. Inspired by the films of Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak, Dr. Cantú began learning Bengali and later deepened his engagement through a Fulbright Fellowship in Dhaka in 2010, where he also encountered Baul-Fakir communities. His research explores the intersections of Sufism, yoga, and esoteric traditions in South Asia. His master’s thesis, based on the Bengali text Yoga-Kalandar, examines how these diverse spiritual ideas connect through shared concepts and practices. A central topic in the interview is the book City of Mirrors: Songs of Lalon Sai, co-edited by Cantú and Zakaria, and based on the fieldwork of Dr. Carol Salomon. This work blends textual analysis, oral tradition, and lived experience, offering new insights into Lalon’s songs—for instance, correcting common interpretations through field-based evidence. The interview also highlights how both Salomon and Cantú approached their research with deep respect for spiritual practitioners. Cantú’s PhD research on Tamil Yogi Swami Sabhapati similarly explores the blending of Theosophy and Yogic practice in South India. Overall, the conversation offers important lessons for emerging scholars, emphasizing the value of philological methods, the importance of oral traditions, and the need for humility, openness, and sincerity in spiritual and academic inquiry.