The Poet’s Song: ‘Folk’ and its Cultural Politics in South Asia

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Priyanka Basu (Project Curator of ‘Two Centuries of Indian Print’ at the British Library, London)

The Poet’s Song

‘Folk’ and its Cultural Politics in South Asia

Priyanka Basu (Project Curator of ‘Two Centuries of Indian Print’ at the British Library, London)

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English

Routledge India
23 October 2023

Non-Western music: traditional & "classical"; Folk & traditional music; Literary studies: poetry & poets; Regional studies; Humanities; Cultural studies; Popular culture; Sociology; Social & cultural anthropology

Series: South Asian History and Culture

This book explores the ‘folk’ performance genre of Kobigaan, a dialogic song-theatre form in which performers verse-duel in contemporary West Bengal in India and Bangladesh.

The book shows how the genre, thought to be a nearly extinct form, is still prevalent in the region. The author shows how, like many other ‘folk’ practices in South and South-East Asia, the content and format of this genre has undergone vital changes, thus raising questions of authenticity, patronage, and cultural politics. She captures live performances of Kobigaan through ethnographies spread across borders—from village rituals to urban festivals, and from Bengali cinema to television and new media. While understanding Kobigaan from the practitioners’ points of view, this book also explores the crucial issues of gender, marginalisation, and representation that are true of any performance genre. Drawing on case studies, it underlines the issues of artistic agency, empowerment, cultural labour and heritage, rituals, authenticity, creative industries, media, gender, and identity politics.

Part of the South Asian History and Culture series, this book is a major intervention in South Asian folklore and performance studies. It also expands into the larger disciplines of literature, social and cultural movements in South Asia, ethnomusicology, and the politics of performance.

By: Priyanka Basu (Project Curator of ‘Two Centuries of Indian Print’ at the British Library London)
Imprint: Routledge India
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 750g
ISBN: 9780367903138
ISBN 10: 036790313X
Series: South Asian History and Culture
Pages: 300
Publication Date: 23 October 2023
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

List of Illustrations List of Tables Acknowledgements Note on Translation and Transliteration Nomenclatures The Travelling Archive Afterlives Past Continuous Temporary Exhibits Writing Sisterhood Epilogue Bibliography Index

Priyanka Basu is a Lecturer in Performing Arts in the Department of Culture, Media and Creative Industries at King’s College London, United Kingdom.