Musicology

“It is by now common knowledge that Adivasi artistic-creative traditions have been organically interwoven into a total way of life, which has, over generations, been developed on the basis of an eco-centric world view that considers the human world and nature as parts of the same continuum. Such traditions, whether wall/floor decorations, iconography, fine and/or performing arts, are deeply related to one another, and all of them are related to the everyday Adivasi way of life.” – Jayasri Banerjee in “Adivasi music and the public stage” (Indian Folklife, January 2002)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=6448

eBook | “That pride must never allow us to forget our many weakness and failings or blunt our longing to be rid of them” (Jawaharlal Nehru): Museums in the service of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace: International Museum Day (18 May)

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https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.98835 In his book, The Discovery of India, Nehru wrote, long before 1947, about the difficulties regarding uniting people with diverse languages, religions and cultural values. At the same time, as a historian, he could sketch the unifying forces which connected India right from the Ashokan period to pre-Independence India. His grasp of Buddhist philosophy … Read more

Audio | Cylinder Recordings – Nagaland

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PittRiversound · “Lipeli” (Sema) Naga song for clearing out stubble (1915-16) [2012 86 9] Listen to all items from the playlist >> This research project, led by Dr. Christian Poske, is a collaborative effort involving the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology (ARCE), and the Highland Institute in Kohima, targeting the … Read more

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

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“The great diversity of music in India is a direct manifestation of the diversity and fragmentation of the population in terms of race, religion, language, and other aspects of culture. Yet the distinction between tribal music and folk music is not always clearly defined.” – N.A. Jairazbhoy To illustrate the above observation, namely “The distinction between … Read more

Audio | Historical recordings of Santali songs (1931): Arnold Bake’s recordings at Kairabani – Jharkhand

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In Kairabani [Arnold Bake] photographed Santali pupils playing their instruments at the mission, but he seems to have been dissatisfied with the sober ambience of the premises. To also have a picture of a Santali musician in a natural environment, he probably arranged a photo with one of the musicians outside. Source: “The Santals, Scandinavian … Read more

Video | Khasi musical heritage of Meghalaya – introduction

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Watch a series of short videos portraits researched and filmed by Gayatri Indira Vijaysimha and Dev Narayan Chaudhuri (Tata Institute of Social Sciences Mumbai): young and senior members of the Khasi community who enjoy music making for a variety of reasons. What unites them is a commitment, namely to provide future generations with access to … Read more