Exhibition photo courtesy Dr. Ruchira Ghose and Project Management Unit, National Museum © 2015 | Video & virtual exhibition >>

Cadence and Counterpoint: Documenting Santal Musical Traditions

On view at the National Museum from 15 April till 17 May 2015

Exhibition catalogue of the same title by Dr. Ruchira Ghose and Dr. Marie Eve Celio Scheurer (eds.)

The exhibition – a collaboration between National Museum, New Delhi and Museum Rietberg, Zurich and Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal – was an eye into the world of the Santal community, its rich culture and musical traditions. It was curated by Dr Ruchira Ghose, Dr Marie-Eve Celio-Scheurer and Dr Johannes Beltz. It brought to public view aspects of the intangible and tangible heritage of the Santal community in India, especially Santal musical traditions.

Introduction

The Santals comprise the single largest tribal community in India. Though spread across the eastern states — Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar and beyond — they form a distinct geography and culture.

The Santals are best known for their rich traditions of dance and music, especially the latter, which has influenced mainstream music in India. Their very distinct culture has attracted researchers, scholars, travellers and explorers into their midst, who have brought back Santal stories and objects.

The exhibition presented three types of objects related to the Santal musical tradition. The first are the musical instruments, amongst which is the most important Banam. A bowed monochord and the only Santal instrument to be categorized as a chordophone, the Banam is carved out of a single piece of soft wood.

Also displayed were the drums, the Tamak and the Madal, and different flutes, of the Santal community.

The third set of objects in the exhibition was the Jadupatua, or scroll painting. While these paintings are not made by the Santal, they are made for them by another community.

An important part of the exhibition was the documentation of Santal traditions over time. Photographs, some taken by well known musicologists such as Alain Daniélou and Deben Bhattacharya, document the Santal community from 1950s onwards. Original audio records from 1914 and videos, from the late 1960s up to the present time, were also part of the documentation.

The exhibition also featured the lively but languishing art form of the Santal community, the Chadar Badar. This is a unique form of puppetry done on a set with a long pole as base. Rows of beautifully carved wooden puppets dance in formation with the pull of a string and attached mechanism. This performance closely resembles the actual folk dance of the Santal.

Source: Cadence-and-Counterpoint.pdf
Address: https://nationalmuseumindia.gov.in/pdfs/Cadence-and-Counterpoint.pdf
Date Visited: Sat May 16 2015 19:27:48 GMT+0200 (CEST)

Please use this search window to find books  published in India
by the above mentioned authors and others on related issues

Technical support

Try the following in case Google Custom Search window or media contents are invisible here: (1) switch from “Reader” to regular viewing; (2) in browser’s Security settings select “Enable JavaScript”; (3) check Google support for browsers and devices | More >>

Find publications by reputed authors (incl. Open Access)

 

Search for an item in libraries near you:
WorldCat.org >>

Related posts

See also

Audio | Santali Traditional and Fusion Songs: Ghosaldanga Bishnubati Adibasi Trust – West Bengal

Banam (Santal string instrument)
– eBook: Banam Making Workshop at Bishnubati | Daricha Foundation
– Video: Banam Raja | Interview with Nunulal Marndi | Reviving the Huka Banam

eBook | Background guide for education

eBook | Free catalogue: Banam: One of the ancient musical instruments of the Santals

eBook | Free catalogue: Museum of Santal Culture (Bishnubati) – West Bengal

eBook | “Santals Celebrate the Seasons”: Creativity fostered by Ashadullapur Gramin Silpa & Sastha Bidhan Kendra – West Bengal

India’s tribal, folk and devotional music: Secular and ceremonial songs

eJournal | Writing and teaching Santali in different alphabets: A success story calling for a stronger sense of self-confidence

Infusing the Santhali Element in Schooling by Rina Mukherji

Museum collections – India

Museum of Santal Culture Bishnubati

Music album and video by Santal village children and youths (DVD, CD): “Children see world around them differently” – West Bengal & Odisha

Music and dance | Adivasi music and the public stage by Jayasri Banerjee

Puppetry | Santali Chadar Badni / Chadar Bad(o)ni”| Daricha Foundation
– eBook: Cadence-and-counterpoint-documenting-santal-musical-traditions
– Video: Damon Murmu | Sahadev Kisku | Shibdhan Murmu

Santal | Santal creation myth | Santal Parganas | The Santals by Boro Baski

Santal cultural traditions documented on the Daricha Foundation website

Santal flute music: Audio resource by Adivaani.org – West Bengal & Jharkhand

Santali language | eBook | A Santali-English dictionary – Archive.org

Santali script – Ol Chiki

Santal mission | Santali songs recorded in 1931 at Kairabani (Jharkhand)

Santal music | Santal Musical Traditions: National Museum (exhibition catalogue)

Video | Santali video album “Ale Ato” (Our Village)

Video & eLearning | “Cadence and Counterpoint: Documenting Santal Musical Traditions” – A virtual exhibition on Google Cultural Institute