Deepak Raja: Two Decades in Musicology

It was around this time in 1995 that Lyle Wachovsky of India Archive Music Ltd., New York, commissioned me to write commentaries on the CDs he was producing of Hindustani music. Till then, I was a musician (among other things). Since then, I have been a musicologist (among other things).

A brief flashback on my two decades in musicology.

Deepak Raja: Two Decades in Musicology


(c) Deepak S. Raja 2015

Prof. Ashok Ranade on Dhrupad

The decline of Dhrupad had begun with the disintegration of the Mughal Empire. By the time of India’s independence, Dhrupad was often described as “a museum piece”. The revival, such as is evident, was fuelled by the following Dhrupad acquired in Europe, starting from the mid-1960s. 

By the end of the 20^th century, Dhrupad vocalism could boast of a small group of musicians who were credible at home, but were dependent overwhelmingly on the Western market for their livelihood. Never before has a genre of art-music been pronounced dead in India, experienced so shaky a revival with home audiences, and become popular enough with alien audiences to become so largely dependent on them. This makes Dhrupad one of the cultural enigmas of cultural anthropology.

The Indian Musicological Society decided to take a look at Dhrupad, and asked me to edit a contemporary survey of Dhrupad for its Journal. Of the various interviews I conducted as part of the study, the one with Prof. Ashok Ranade in August,1998, was eminently rewarding. I present here the recordings of that interview in two parts. 

Prof. Ashok Ranade on Dhrupad Part I

Prof. Ashok Ranade on Dhrupad Part II

An accessible and approve transcription of the interview was published in the JIMS Annual 1999, edited jointly with Dr. Suvarnalata Rao. .

Perspectives on Dhrupad: Prof. Ashok Ranade

(c) Deepak S. Raja 1999-2015

"The Raga-ness of Raga-s" by Deepak Raja

My fourth book on Hindustani music comes off the press in the next 48 hours. The publisher says we need to print a direct mail brochure. I ask him how many copies we should print, to whom we direct the mailing, and whether anyone reads print brochures any longer. He doesn't know the answer. I don't either. Perhaps nobody does. So, he asked me if there was an alternative. I told him I will give it a shot. And, this is what came out of it. Check it out.

The Raga-ness of Raga-s. A Video brochure

Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan: The Last Interview

Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan

By Lalita Khanna
From: The Souvenir of the
Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan Music Festival 1975

Interviews with Vidushi Dhondutai Kulkarni (1927-2014)

In 2003, I began work on a commentary to accompany a recording by India Archive Music, New York, of Vidushi Dhondutai Kulkarni, the only disciple of Kesarbai Kerkar. Around that time, I was also writing regular features on Hindustani music for SRUTI magazine, published from Chennai, and planning my book on Khayal vocalism. I requested my Guru to give me formal interviews, of which I obtained two over the next couple of months. 

The interviews have been expertly processed and edited by my friend, Kishor Merchant. 

I am sharing  both the interviews here.

Music lovers may feel free to download. 

Dhondutai interview 05-05-2003

Dhondutai interview 07-06-2003


(c) Deepak S. Raja 2003-2015

Aesthetic obsolescence VI: Limitations of Youtube data

This study is now published in my book:

Aesthetic obsolescence: V

This study is now published in my book:

Aesthetic obsolescence IV

This study is now published in my book:

Aesthetic obsolescence III

This study is now published in my book:

Aesthetic obsolescence in Hindustani music II

This study is now published in my book: