Brass baja : stories from the world of Indian wedding bands

This book is the first study of the men who work in the brass bands that accompany wedding and devotional processions and the tradition that has become a core of Indian popular culture. This Book Is A Detailed And Colourful Study Of India's Wedding Bands. The Volume Argues That While Music Performed By Wedding Bands Help Generate Emotions Of Ecstasy And Joy, The Bandsmen Who Play It Are In The Fringes Of The Social Events They Herald. Musically And Socially, And By Birth And Profession, Bandsmen At Weddings Are Ascribed Low Social Status. The Volume Provides The Reader With An Image Of The Reality Of Professional Life In South Asia, And The Processes Of Change In The World Of Indian Processional Music - The Stark Social And Economic Gulf Between Musicians And Their Patrons. It Will Be Of Interest To An Academic Audience In Anthropology, Ethnomusicology, History, And Music As Well As To A Wider Audience Of Informed General Readers.--book Jacket. Introduction -- Pt. 1. Contemporary And Historical Ethnographies Of A Processional Music Trade -- Identity, Caste, And Family -- Māliks And Bandsmen -- Social And Professional Hierarchies -- Careers, Space, Location, And Movement -- Pt. 2. Sounds, Sights, Practice, And Performance -- Ensembles And Fashion -- The Flow And Change Of Meaning -- The Practice Of Processions And Processional Music -- The Wedding Band Repertoire -- Practices Of Transmission And Performance -- Conclusion : The Forefront Of Change -- Appendix: Musical Transcriptions. Gregory D. Booth. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [316]-322) And Index.