Deben Bhattacharya is a nearly legendary ethnographic musicologist. He made it his life's work to seek out the most unique, distinctively ethnic forms of music on the planet and record them before they faded away into the modern age.

He has made several documentary films and recorded over twenty albums of music, such as tribal music from the Middle East, music of the Gypsies, and that of the Bauls and Qawals of India.

He made his home in Paris and passed away in 2001.