Staying Connected #3 | Listen to musicians of the Agra Gharana and Journey through the folk music of Bengal | April 23, 2020

We hope this email finds you and your dear ones safe. While you are locked down, we know that many of you have been spending your time and resources supporting those who are less fortunate than us and have been affected more severely by the pandemic. We pledge our solidarity to all your efforts.

During these hard times, the Staying Connected Series by India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) brings you articles, talks, discussions, work of our grantees and other thought provoking resources from the world of arts and culture to brighten your day and inspire you.

Today we present a podcast by Smit Dharia and Srijan Deshpande titled Personalities in the Agra Gharana and The Travelling Archive by Moushumi Bhowmik and Sukanta Majumdar. Both these projects aim at creating unique musical experiences for its audiences.

Personalities in the Agra Gharana presented by Smit Dharia and Srijan Deshpande is a podcast featuring select archival recordings sourced from Saptak Archives, Ahmedabad to discuss the music of various generations of musicians who were inspired by the Agra tradition of Hindustani music and brought meaning to it, as well as shaped it through their own talent. Along with a chance to experience recordings, the podcast also offers explanations on its background, context and information on the lives of the musicians. 

Smit Dharia received a fellowship from India Foundation for the Arts, under the Archival and Museum Fellowship in collaboration with Saptak Archives Ahmedabad, Gujarat, made possible with support from Tata Trusts

Tune into the playlist to access their work.

The Travelling Archive by Moushumi Bhowmik and Sukanta Majumdar brings together rich and varied folk music scattered across West Bengal, Bangladesh  and some adjoining areas of Assam and even distant locations such as the Bengali/Bangladeshi neighbourhoods of East London. Recorded in the spaces of the musicians including their homes, villages, rivers, work fields and tea shops, the music is presented in the context of its place of origin, the lives of the people who live in these places and the history and politics of the musical tradition it represents.

Head over to The Travelling Archive to access the collection and learn more about the project.

Moushumi Bhowmik received grants from India Foundation for the Arts, under the Arts Research and Documentation programme. She also received a fellowship from IFA, under the Archival and Museum Fellowship initiative.