Impact of Globalisation on Sarangi players on 21st Century India

Abstract

This thesis is written from the first-hand perspective of a khandani or familial musician and looks at the effects of globalization on the sarangi tradition. As a professional musician, I have personally witnessed these effects first-hand and felt how they have impacted upon the Hindustani musical industry. This work focusses on the sarangi tradition in particular, looking at its early origins, its rise and fall and its unique form of adaptation in the face of contemporary and globalized forces. My personal knowledge of the sarangi tradition is coupled with practical experience of its adaptation and development in the 21st century applying an insider's perspective on critical, academic research into this area which has gone before in addition to specific data and arguments. This study examines what globalization is and how it manifested itself in India both economically and culturally during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The remarkable way in which this phenomenon impacted on Hindustani musicians and sarangi players is reviewed in detail though case studies, interviews and analysis of how globalization has provided networking and performance opportunities. The negative aspects of globalization are considered both in terms of musicality and the potential denigration of tradition. Ultimately the effects of globalization on sarangi players are complex and varied. The conclusion of this thesis forms an overall view from the writer's perspective whilst posing questions for the future and the challenges which sarangi players continue to face.