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NEISP is organising a seminar by Dr. Prachee Dewri

NEISP is organising a seminar by Dr. Prachee Dewri

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NEISP is organising a seminar by Dr. Prachee Dewri
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NORTH EAST INDIA STUDIES PROGRAMME

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES-I

 

Transcending Cultural Boundaries: Musical Experiments in Mid-Twentieth Century Assam

 

 

Dr. Prachee Dewri

Hansraj College, University of Delhi

 

During the mid-twentieth century, many parts of India experienced a cultural upheaval which was marked by experimentation in various forms of art and culture. This paper will focus on experiments in the field of music in Assam.

 

Although these experiments can be traced to the late nineteenth century, when a sense of regional identity was taking shape in Assam, they gained further momentum in the twentieth century. The availability of technology for recording, reproduction and disseminating music exposed artists of the region to a wide range of music, particularly from Europe and the United States. Access to recording technology encouraged artists to collect and record the traditional music of the region, and to create new music relevant to the times by blending the various forms of music to which they were exposed. Significant political developments, such as the intensification of the nationalist freedom struggle in India, also gave an impetus to the creation of new music in regional languages.

In the 1930s and 40s, the availability of communist literature and contact with communist groups influenced the music of the region. The formation of the Assam branch of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) in 1947 was particularly significant, as it brought together artists of different parts of India and created a fertile ground for experimentation. In Assam, the IPTA gave a wider platform to musicians of different ethnic communities of the region, facilitating a cultural and social transformation in several communities. The IPTA brought in an element of social critique and a democratic impulse to the musical experimentation.

The musical experiments of the mid-twentieth century were not a purely aesthetic exercise. This paper will explore social and political implications of these musical experiments.

 

DATE:   October 13, Friday, 2017

TIME:   3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

VENUE: Room no.324, 3rd Floor, SSS-I, JNU

 

ALL ARE INVITED

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.