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Som Murmu, a 60 year old Santal cultivator and master craftsman from Birbhum, has been a wood carver for over forty years. In his youth, he tried his hand working with various media including straw, bamboo, clay tiles, asbestos and tin, as well as a short spell as a furniture maker, but found it difficult to sustain himself. He then started experimenting with musical instruments – the banam in particular and found that there was a demand for his work at local melas (fairs).
The banams that were made till then were the traditional Dhodro banams, but Som started making stylized, ornate banams, more like statuettes which could also be played. His inspiration was the human body. […]
Som does not wish to dispense with tradition altogether and thus also displays traditional banams at fairs and the shops which display his instruments. He also makes the tiny two-stringed Kendri banam which is very melodious. As soon he gets free time after harvesting is over, he goes back to his banam making. […]
Source: :::::: Daricha Foundation ::::::
Address: http://www.daricha.org/ArtistOfTheMonth.aspx?Artist=Som%20Murmu
Date Visited: Fri Apr 10 2015 09:35:49 GMT+0200 (CEST)
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