Category Archives: Performing arts

“Culture nourishes itself from nature / Without nature, culture cannot exist / without culture, a society cannot” – Vayali Folklore Group’s motto on its journey: “learning the traditional/local Knowledge systems practiced in and around the banks of River Nila (Bharatha Puzha) and share/impart the same to the young generation” through folk art dance performance.
http://www.vayali.org
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=1972

“Many of the tribes have two distinct types of music, the ‘outdoor’ ensemble, which is often performed by members of a different tribe or a Hindu caste, and their own characteristic tribal songs. The outdoor ensemble is used at weddings and on festive occasions. It varies in size and structure, depending to some extent on the affluence of the tribe. The main instruments are the double-reed oboe-type, a straight, curved, or S-shaped horn, a variety of drums – kettle-shaped, cylindrical, or frame drums similar to the tambourine – and cymbals.” – NA Jairazbhoy in A Cultural History of India (Oxford University Press, 1975, Chapter XVI “Tribal, Folk and Devotional Music”), pp. 212-242
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=3488

“Economic deprivation, degradation of land and the temptations of urban culture have led to large scale migration of tribals to greener pastures. The ones who are left behind have far more pressing problems to attend to, than that of the survival of a dance form that hardly anyone understands or appreciates.” – Amitabh Ghosh of The Celluloid Chapter Art Foundation in Jamshedpur, quoted in “The disappearing steps of tribal dance” (The Deccan Herald, 22 October 2011)
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/199806/disappearing-steps-tribal-dance.html
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=5383

“The performers of the Tribal/Folk Arts and Culture should continually upgrade their creative flair and operational skill so that they themselves can play a proactive role in bolstering the foundation and ensuring the sustainability of Tribal /Folks Arts and Culture. They should adopt a proactive stance in carrying the rich cultural legacy of India and proceed forward in pursuit of functional excellence.” – Final Report, Evaluation Study of Tribal/Folk Arts and Culture in West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar.
http://planningcommission.gov.in/reports/sereport/ser/ser_folk2211.pdf
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=29938

“The seven sister states of northeast – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura – and the Himalayan state of Sikkim could well become India’s next music epicentre.” – Ruhi Batra (Times of India, 17 May 2015)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/Why-the-northeast-is-rocking/articleshow/47314514.cms
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=13956

The nomadic Romany (“gypsy”) tribe: Credited with amazing contributions to the music and dance of many countries from antiquity to the present – Sind & Punjab

Posted on 14/01/2022 by website administrator

To read the full story, click here >> Many of the modern day gypsies can be traced back to the nomadic tribe called Roma. In Europe, they were referred to as the goddess-worshippers. This goddess was none other than Kali. … Continue reading →

Posted in Adverse inclusion, Anthropology, History, Languages and linguistic heritage, Music and dance, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes, Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTG), Performing arts, Press snippets, Storytelling, Tribal culture worldwide, Tribal identity, Worship and rituals | Comments Off on The nomadic Romany (“gypsy”) tribe: Credited with amazing contributions to the music and dance of many countries from antiquity to the present – Sind & Punjab

Resources for the classroom: Learning from and about India’s tribal communities, their culture and knowledge systems

Posted on 08/01/2022 by website administrator

“[I]t is some of the basic values and ideology imbibed in the traditional tribal socio-cultural milieus that should have been emulated and promoted amongst the non-tribal mainstream, not, as has been going on, the other way round.” Source: ’Who Is … Continue reading →

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eJournal | Launching a New Scholarly Journal on “Music and Minorities” – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

Posted on 20/12/2021 by website administrator

Music and Minorities Research Center, mdw –University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria | Correspondence: hemetek@mdw.ac.at The study of music in relation to minority communities has grown into a substantial field of research in ethnomusicology and adjacent disciplines in … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Colonial policies, Cultural heritage, eBook eJournal PDF, Education and literacy, Globalization, History, Misconceptions, Modernity, Musicology, Networking, Organizations, Performing arts, Quotes, Revival of traditions | Comments Off on eJournal | Launching a New Scholarly Journal on “Music and Minorities” – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna

Video | Film series on Spectacular India: “The people of Manipur believe that they are the descendants of celestial musicians” – Seven Sister States

Posted on 19/12/2021 by website administrator

Celestial Dancers of Manipur Perhaps the finest surviving example of traditions of ‘Bhakti’ in India, is the ‘Raasa Lila’ of Manipur. Source: ‘Spectacular India’ series film no 10 (Excerpts) – YouTubeAddress: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOS3A5xbQj4Date Visited: Sat Dec 03 2016 11:14:59 GMT+0100 (CET) … Continue reading →

Posted in Customs, Eastern region – Eastern Zonal Council, Film, Government of India, History, Media portrayal, Music and dance, Nature and wildlife, Performing arts, Photos and slideshows, Press snippets, Revival of traditions, Seven Sister States & Sikkim – North Eastern Council, Storytelling, Video resources - external | Comments Off on Video | Film series on Spectacular India: “The people of Manipur believe that they are the descendants of celestial musicians” – Seven Sister States

Documentation of tribal music of India by Bhasha and Adivasi Academy, Tejgadh – Gujarat

Posted on 14/12/2021 by website administrator

VADODARA: Now, you will be able to peep into the life of tribals and even hum some of their songs. The Bhasha Research and Publication Centre (BRPC), which has taken up a project for documentation of tribal music of India, … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature and bibliographies, Modernity, Museum collections - India, Music and dance, Musicology, Names and communities, Organizations, Performing arts, Press snippets, Resources, Seasons and festivals, Women | Tagged , | Comments Off on Documentation of tribal music of India by Bhasha and Adivasi Academy, Tejgadh – Gujarat