Music & dance

“Within villages around Dang [Gujarat], traditional instruments and artists are waning. Cultural music and dance forms among the adivasis have evolved over centuries. Beautified by elements and nuances of their surroundings, these forms depict their very lifestyles. Played for hours together in the same tempo, music is an integral part of celebrations and mourning. […] Each instrument has a purpose and belief related to it.” – Ashleshaa Khurana in “The ailing art of adivasi music” (Times of India, 30 January 2014)
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=13780

Video | “Please sister, pluck me a flower”: Santal puppetry and dhodro banam exponent Damon Murmu documented by Daricha Foundation – West Bengal

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Daman Murmu is a Santal puppeteer and Banam artist from North Dinajpur in West Bengal. He performs the rare Chadar Badani form of puppetry which is practically extinct among the Santals themselves. 69 year old artist, Damon Murmu of Mahanandapur village in Dakshin Dinajpur became properly acquainted with the unique puppetry form of Chadar Badani … Read more

The Asurs’ remembrance of their ancestors: A ‘particularly vulnerable’ tribal group – Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh & West Bengal

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Chamru is an Asur, a ‘particularly vulnerable tribal group’ that dominates Sakhuapani’s population of about 2,000 and lives in villages spread over a radius of 10 to 20 km. Besides Jharkhand, members of the tribe live in pockets of Bihar, West Bengal and a few other states. The 2011 Census put the number of Asurs at … Read more

Santal music and the bamboo flute of Pannalal Ghosh – West Bengal

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Audio contents on YouTube “For centuries, Santhals, spread across West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar, have nurtured culture and heritage. Some of the finest music and art traditions originated in this tribe and went on to influence people like Pannalal Ghosh and Kazi Nazrul Islam.”  The Hindu (Friday Review), 23 April 2015 >> References to the … Read more

Video | The story behind the song “Kiạ Baha’ by Boro Baski – West Bengal

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My life was a bit different than a normal Santal boy of our village. After completing my masters I did my doctoral research on Social Work from Visva-Bharati University and founded a social organization with the youth of my village and some like-minded friends from Santiniketan. After completing higher studies I traveled extensively in the … Read more