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Subbulakshmi and contemporary feminism: Sunil Khilnani on BBC Radio 4 Incarnations: India in 50 Lives

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Listen to this programme on BBC Radio 4 (15 minutes) >> Find song lyrics, translations and more (type “M.S. Subbulakshmi”) >> M.S. SubbulakshmiBorn 16 September 1916. Died 11 December 2004 Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (Tamil: மதுரை சண்முகவடிவு சுப்புலட்சுமி, Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi ? 16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004), also known as M.S., was a Carnatic vocalist. She was the first … Read more

A lesson (thought experiment) inspired by Gandhi’s understanding of music

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The challenge of going beyond a “narrow understanding of classical” music has long been debated among performers and musicologists; whether for the sake of creativity and self-expression or ideals like “serving society through music”, even harnessing the healing power of music where most needed. So what about reconsidering all of this and more in the … Read more

Video | Tambura-tanpura explained

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Source: Musical instrument (tanpura) with keys for four string, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2021URL: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O452622/stringed-instrument/Date Visited: 7 December 2021 The tambura or tanpura is a plucked drone instrument used to accompany instrumental or vocal performances. The four strings are played open rather than being depressed to alter the note. This example is considerably … Read more

A storm of songs: India and the idea of the bhakti movement

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by John Stratton Hawley Review by Vinay Lal (Professor of History & Asian American Studies, UCLA) in Canadian Journal of History: A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti Movement by John Stratton Hawley: “The idea of a ‘‘bhakti movement’’ has long been one of the largely unexamined verities that have played … Read more