Encyclopaedia of Indian Folk Music

India's Folk Music Tradition

India has a very rich tradition of folk music. The extreme cultural diversity creates endless varieties of folk styles. Each region has its own particular style. There is a tendency to lump folk music along with tribal music. There is actually a difference. Where folk music is a mere rustic reflection of the larger Indian society, tribal music often represents cultures that are very different. Some of these tribal cultures are throwbacks to cultural conditions as they were thousands of years ago.

Differences Between Folk and Tribal Music

Tribal and folk music is not taught in the same way that Indian classical music is taught. There is no formal period of apprenticeship where the student is able to devote their entire life to learning the music, the economics of rural life does not permit this sort of thing. The musical practitioners must still attend to their normal duties of hunting, agriculture or whatever their chosen profession is.

About the Book

The book deals not only with folk music but also with the socio-cultural history of the folk community and the region of India. It contains a theoretical analysis of folk music and ethno-musicology. The book presents the documentation of the contemporary folklore of India, comprising music, musical instruments, and songs from different states of India.