On the occasion of World Indigenous People’s Day on 9th August, I present the song ‘Ḍuṅgri Latar’ (At the foothills) that talks about the struggle and plight of Muni (name changed), a 14 years old girl, the third generation member of the family working at a stone-quarry situated at the border area of Birbhum and … Read more
Source: courtesy Dr. Ruchira Ghose (Co-Curator, New Delhi, 21 January 2016); for photo and detailed credits, please check the multimedia production available at Google Arts and Culture here >> [Bold typeface added above for emphasis] Tip: view the actual slideshow, watch a video on Santal puppetry, listen to a rare 1914 Santali recording and read the full story
Watching tribal dancing live and up close is a hugely different experience from watching it on telly. For the 40-strong Gudalur adivasi group, recently invited by the Central University of Jharkhand to the Tribal Cultural Festival in Ranchi, the face-to-face with similar groups from all over India was mind boggling. For over 25 years, Stan … Read more
At a time when the state is red-faced about rural primary schoolchildren clueless in class, Unicef (Jharkhand) has embarked upon a pioneering project of preparing textbooks in tribal and regional languages for children for whom Hindi is as alien a medium of instruction as English. […] Textbooks include a theme-based pictorial dictionary in tribal and … Read more
Tirio bamboo flute * Dhodro banam bowed instrument * Madol or tumdak double-sided barrel drum * Photos: Boro Baski, Museum of Santal Culture; photo credit: Ludwig Pesch © 2012 Information on these and other music instruments provided by the Wesanthals E-Group * Tirio: The instrument most favoured by Santals, is bamboo flute with seven holes. It is … Read more