Komal Kothari
Encyclopedia
Komal Kothari commonly known as Komalda, was an India
n folklorist and ethnomusicologist
from Jodhpur
, Rajasthan
. A pioneer in the study of Indian folkore, he is most known for his work on the folklore
of Rajasthan
and its links to Music of Rajasthan
and its instruments. He founded the Rupayan Sansthan in the 1960, with Vijaydan Detha
, an institute that documents Rajasthani folklore, arts and music.
s and puppetry
.
He was also a patron
of Manganiyar and Langa
folk music. He was the first to record them and helped spread them out of their traditional regions. The magical music of Manganiyars goes global Good news India, Accessed June 1 2006 To this end, he also founded the magazine 'Prerna
'.
Kothari founded the Rupayan Sansthan with Vijaydan Detha
at Borunga village in Rajasthan, an institute that documents Rajasthani folk-lore, arts and music, and spent most of his career at the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy. He died from cancer
in April 2004.
in 1983, followed by the Padma Bhushan
in 2004, given the Government of India
. In 1986, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
, the highest honour in performing arts, by Sangeet Natak Akademi
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, for lifetime achievement., and Prince Claus Award in 2000.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n folklorist and ethnomusicologist
Ethnomusicology
Ethnomusicology is defined as "the study of social and cultural aspects of music and dance in local and global contexts."Coined by the musician Jaap Kunst from the Greek words ἔθνος ethnos and μουσική mousike , it is often considered the anthropology or ethnography of music...
from Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Jodhpur , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located west from the state capital, Jaipur and from the city of Ajmer. It was formerly the seat of a princely state of the same name, the capital of the kingdom known as Marwar...
, Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
. A pioneer in the study of Indian folkore, he is most known for his work on the folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
and its links to Music of Rajasthan
Music of Rajasthan
Music of Rajasthan originates from Rajasthan, one of the states of India and home to several important centers of Indian musical development, including Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur...
and its instruments. He founded the Rupayan Sansthan in the 1960, with Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha also known as Bijji is a noted writer from Rajasthan and a recipient of Padma Shri award. He is also recipient of several other awards such as Sahitya Akademi Award and Sahitya Chudamani Award....
, an institute that documents Rajasthani folklore, arts and music.
Career
Kothari's research resulted in his development of the study of a number of areas of folklore. In particular, he made contributions to the study of musical instruments, oral traditionOral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
s and puppetry
Puppetry
Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance which involves the manipulation of puppets. It is very ancient, and is believed to have originated 30,000 years BC. Puppetry takes many forms but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects...
.
He was also a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of Manganiyar and Langa
Langha (tribe)
The Langha or Langah are a Muslim community found in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in India. They are unrelated to the Langah tribe of southern Pakistan.- History and origin :...
folk music. He was the first to record them and helped spread them out of their traditional regions. The magical music of Manganiyars goes global Good news India, Accessed June 1 2006 To this end, he also founded the magazine 'Prerna
Prerna
Prerna is a Hindi/Sanskrit word which is derived from word "Prernah". It translation is "Inspiration" or "Stimulation" in English.It is a very popular girl name in India, prevalent in both Hinduism and Sikhism....
'.
Kothari founded the Rupayan Sansthan with Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha
Vijaydan Detha also known as Bijji is a noted writer from Rajasthan and a recipient of Padma Shri award. He is also recipient of several other awards such as Sahitya Akademi Award and Sahitya Chudamani Award....
at Borunga village in Rajasthan, an institute that documents Rajasthani folk-lore, arts and music, and spent most of his career at the Rajasthan Sangeet Natak Academy. He died from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in April 2004.
Awards and honours
He received the Padma ShriPadma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1983, followed by the Padma Bhushan
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 2004, given the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. In 1986, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship
The Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, also, Sangeet Natak Akademi Ratna Sadasya is an honour for the performing arts in India...
, the highest honour in performing arts, by Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi
Sangeet Natak Akademi is the national level academy for performing arts set up by the Government of India.-History:...
, India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama, for lifetime achievement., and Prince Claus Award in 2000.
Legacy
A 1979 documentary film on his ethnomusicology work, and another titled Komal Da, on his life and works, are now archived at Columbia University Libraries.Works
- Monograph on Langas: a folk musician caste of Rajasthan. 1960.
- Folk musical instruments of Rajasthan: a folio. Rajasthan Institute of Folklore, 1977.
- Gods of the Byways. Museum of Modern Art, Oxford. 1982. ISBN 0905836286.
- Rajasthan: The Living Traditions,Prakash Book Depot. 2000. ISBN 8172340311.
- Life and works of Padma Bhushan Shri Komal Kothari (1929-2004), by Komal Kothari, National Folklore Support Centre, NFSC. 2004.
- Bards, ballads and boundaries: an ethnographic atlas of music traditions in West Rajasthan, by Daniel Neuman, Shubha Chaudhuri, Komal Kothari. Seagull, 2007. ISBN 1905422075.
Further reading
- Rajasthan: An Oral History - Conversations with Komal Kothari, by Rustom Bharucha. Penguin India . 2003. ISBN 0143029592.
External links
- Life and works of Shri Komal Kothari National Folklore Support Centre
- Conversation with Komal Kothari