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Accepted Paper:

Remember the old masters: the musical and social practices of memory in Hindustani music milieu  
Ingrid Le Gargasson (Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales)

Paper short abstract:

Focusing on the context of Hindustani music tradition and its transmission, I propose to examine the relationship of music, memory and history.

Paper long abstract:

Becoming a musician in the North Indian Classical Music implies to have pass some years learning with a master and to have internalize a repertoire primarily attached to his gharana or stylistic school linked to a specific lineage or apprenticeship. Through the time passed at the feet of his guru, the disciple has learned more than music skills: he is the guardian of the oral history of his forefathers.

The anecdotes presented, out or during the classes, about the old masters, about their wonderful past performances and renditions of a raga, their dedication to the art tend to pass more than what it seems. These memories often embody the etiquette and the values shared by the community as well as discourses on the vocal or instrumental style and techniques. It is an informal way to convey knowledge and to incorporate the disciple in the line of transmission. Besides, these narratives about the past can concern the story of a composition, the context of its creation, giving social and emotional meaning to the music content.

Taking examples from my fieldwork, I would like to question the complex relationships between music, history and memory, and address the following questions: how these shared memories are part of the socio-musical identity of musicians? How music-making embodies the practice of memory? In which ways musical experience is related to personal and collective recollections?

Panel P22
Taste
  Session 1