The Exotic and the Ecstatic
Studies of Two Brass Bands from Rajasthan and the Global Music Market
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jwpm.33140Keywords:
Brass music, wedding bands, folk traditions, global markets, colonial historiesAbstract
Brass bands on the Indian subcontinent are associated mostly with the wedding procession known as the baraat. The bandsmen who play this music are often migrant workers from marginalized castes and communities, for whom this music is a hereditary profession. The environment in which they function is not conducive to musical innovation or the expression of individuality. While they perform popular film songs, they are unable to attain popularity themselves. In this article, I collate and present ethnographic research on the workings of two brass bands from the western Indian state of Rajasthan. I aim to demonstrate how these bands were able to associate themselves with specific circumstances related to the internationalization of folk music from this region and its romanticized and exotic image. Furthermore, I explore how the specific contexts of classical, folk and traditional music have shaped and affected the way brass music is disseminated throughout the world.
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