Cultural politics history and praxis a critical study of Dhrupad a living tradition of music

Abstract

The thesis incorporates a case study of Dagar gharana; its pedagogy and tradition. The gharana shattered its exclusivity by opening it to all classes of musicians- from nonhereditary, to women, to mirasis, to prostitutes. With the coming of disciples from western world, the guru shishya parampara was reconfigured in the context of virtual guru and online learning. As the music scape is undergoing constant changes there is a need to preserve and proliferate this art form which is centuries old and based on the vedas. Listening is thus, also a cultural practice of enormous social import and engages with communication, social practices, discourse, politics and phenomenological experiences. The thesis has with reference to this context also delved into the strand of cultural history to look at various angles of Dhrupad s decline and revival. Subsequently, in this mnemonic tradition of Indian Classical Music, the dynamics of how people are integrated in the relationship and form a culture based on hearing (music as a structure) becomes a pertinent point of study through endemic features (guru, gharana, riyaaz, mahaul, taaleem) to understand causes of its decline with transformations in these vital components. newline