Master Musicians of India: Hereditary Sarangi Players Speak

Beginning with Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, Indian art music is renowned internationally for its improvised raga performance. This ancient tradition has for centuries been transmitted orally within the seclusion of hereditary families. Few such families remain today, and not enough is known about their central contribution to the life of Indian music. Master Musicians of India reveals this rich world through profiles and interviews of key musicians from this tradition. The author has spent decades studying these musicians, both as a performer herself and an ethnomusicologist. The book reveals not only the richness of this tradition, but for the first time documents the pedagogy itself, which has long been carefully guarded. Nine musicians from 5 major urban centers are profiled, each with a unique story to tell, covering 3 generations of performers. Master Musicians of India is the first book to present the stories of these performers in their own words. All students of Indianmusic, performance, ethnomusicology, and cultural studies will be enriched by reading it.