Learning Khayal: Notes on Being-with

Authors

  • Karin Shankar Pratt Institute

Keywords:

Khayal, improvisation, being-with, South Asian Performance, Global South Performance

Abstract

This essay is a poetic reflection on how the history and practice of Khayal, an improvisatory North Indian vocal form, provides lessons on being-with an Other. This submission is a form of ficto-critique and is based on the author's musical practice, revived via online lessons during the pandemic. 

Author Biography

Karin Shankar, Pratt Institute

Karin Shankar is an Assistant Professor of Performance Studies in the Department of Humanities and Media Studies at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in Women & Performance: A Journal of Feminist Theory, TDR, Feminist Teacher, Art India, ASAP/Journal, Performance Matters, and elsewhere.

References

Alaghband-Zadeh, Chloë. 2015. “Sonic Performativity: Analysing Gender in North Indian Classical Vocal Music.” Ethnomusicology Forum 24 (3): 349–379. https://doi.org/10.1080/17411912.2015.1082925

Bagchee, Sandeep. 1998. Nad: Understanding Raga Music. Mumbai: Eeshwar Press.

Bor, Joep. 2002. The Raga Guide. Monmouth: Nimbus Records.

Brown, Katherine Butler [Schofield]. 2010. “The Origins and Early Development of Khayal.” In Hindustani Music Thirteenth to Twentieth Centuries, edited by Joep Bor, Francoise ‘Nalini’ Delvoye, Jane Harvey, and Emmie te Nijenhuis, 159–196. New Delhi: Manohar.

Clarke, David, and Tara Kini. 2011. “North Indian classical music and its links with consciousness: The case of dhrupad.” In Music and Consciousness: Philosophical, Psychological, and Cultural Perspectives, edited by David Clarke and Eric F. Clarke, 137–156. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199553792.003.0048

Hornabrook, Jasmine. 2017. “South Indian Singing, Digital Mediation and Belonging in London’s Tamil Diaspora.” Journal of Interdisciplinary Voice Studies 2 (2): 119–36. https://doi.org/10.1386/jivs.2.2.119_1

Khoury, Elias. 1989. Little Mountain. Translated by Maia Tabet. New York: Picador.

Mani, Charulata. 2017. “Singing Across Cultures: An Autoethnographic Study.” IRASM 48 (2): 245–264.

Rowell, Lewis. 1992. Music and Musical Thought in Early India. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226730349.001.0001

Trinh, Minh-ha T. 1996. “An Acoustic Journey.” In Rethinking Borders, edited by John C. Welchman, 1–17. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12725-2_1

Wade, Bonnie C. 1997. Khyal: Creativity within North India’s Classical Music Tradition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wade, Bonnie C. 1973. “Chiz in Khyal.” Ethnomusicology 17 (3): 446. https://doi.org/10.2307/849960

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Published

13-06-2022

How to Cite

“Learning Khayal: Notes on Being-With”. 2022. Performance Philosophy 7 (2): 141-44. https://doi.org/10.21476/PP.2022.72367.

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How to Cite

“Learning Khayal: Notes on Being-With”. 2022. Performance Philosophy 7 (2): 141-44. https://doi.org/10.21476/PP.2022.72367.