Review of Mountainous Sound Spaces: Listening to History and Music in the Utarakhand Himalayas by Andrew Alter (original) (raw)
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Author Biography Noé Dinnerstein is Adjunct Assistant Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. As an ethnomusicologist, his areas of interest are in music of Ladakh, North India, and Latin America. His research in Ladakh focuses primarily on tradition and popular songs, and their evolution through process of crossroads hybridity, past and present. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, he is an active performer and teacher of Hindustani sitar and khayal singing, as well as a composer. He is currently finishing up a book, Traditional Songs in Buddhist Ladakh, which will include translations, transcriptions, and recordings.
Himalaya
This article examines how Ladakhi songs represent cultural self-images through associated musical, textual, and visual tropes. Many songs of the past, both from the old royal house and the rural Buddhist populations, reflect the socio-political structure of Ladakhi society. Although some songs, past and present, reflect a pan-Tibetan identity, a distinct Ladakhi identity is nevertheless consistently asserted. Situated on the caravan routes between India, Tibet, China, and Central Asia, Ladakhi culture developed distinctive hybrid characteristics, including in its musical styles. The article discusses this tradition of hybridity from the 17th Century to the present day. Ladakhi music has moved into modern media space, portrayed through scholarly works, concerts, mass media, and the internet. The article examines various contemporary representations of “tradition” and ethnic identity in both traditional and popular music. Looking at Ladakhi popular music, we see further hybridity base...