By NNN-Bernama,
Chennai, India : An encyclopedia chronicling the journey of music in India across 2,000 years and spanning the neighbouring countries as well, was released in the capital of south Indian state Tamil Nadu, here on Wednesday, Press Trust of India (PTI) said.
‘The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Music of India,’ published by Oxford University Press, was jointly released by veteran Carnatic musician M Balamuralikrishna and noted playwright and actor Girish Karnad.
According to the publishers, the encyclopedia is “a comprehensive, authoritative and up-to-date three-volume collection,” which covers the story of music in India spread across 2000 years.
It contains entries on classical, folk, film, and other forms of music and details of all forms of dance, raga, tala, gharana, technical terms and instruments. It also contains brief biographies of vocalists, musicologists, saint poets and gurus, PTI said.
The encyclopedia has more than 5,000 entries by over 100 acclaimed contributors. It also features articles on the music of the subcontinent with entries on Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Terming the effort as “wonderful,” Balamuralikrishna said such a project had never happened earlier, though there had been books on some kinds of Indian music and musicians.
The new collection is about the past and the present and one required for the present and future generations, he added.
In his address, Karnad traced the history of Indian music and said India music, including its folklore, had managed to survive and flourish through the ages.
“Today, there is so much encouragement for music. Caste and religious barriers have collapsed and anyone with the talent in music and dance gets encouraged. This is a great situation to be in,” he said.