UW-Madison Faculty
Lalita du Perron (profile)
Associate Director, Center for South Asia
Location: Humanities 1641
The vocal genres khyal and thumri in North Indian Art (Hindustani) music are, on the modern stage, almost always performed by middle-class performers. Although in some strata of society being a professional performer is not considered an appropriate career for women, the stigma attached to being a woman on stage is slowly decreasing. Most modern audiences are unaware of the colourful history of the genres they patronise, a history firmly rooted in courtly and courtesan milieus.
In this presentation we will look at some modern video footage of traditional performers, and analyse how the texts of the songs they sing have been altered through the ages to fit in with the respectable image that Hindustani music has in the modern era.
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