Once a common music instrument, will the bulbul tarang ever take flight again?

Shahi baaja has survived because a set of musicians and instrument-makers love its ability to sing like a bird. What it needs now is wider adoption.

Ullas Ponnadi

· Oct 05, 2023 · 11:30 am

Interview: Musician Keaton Henson explores his disconnect with fame in ‘House Party’

He is best known for his beautifully fragile and personal explorations that delve into anxiety, separation and loss.

Manisha Maity

· Jul 23, 2023 · 11:30 am

Why 1992 is the year the song changed in India

The arrival of AR Rahman coincided with the efflorescence of Indipop.

Rudradeep Bhattacharjee

· Sep 28, 2022 · 09:05 am

How are freedom and democracy reflected in Hindustani music practice? A tabla maestro’s reflections

The tabla has been an accompanying instrument and those who play it have a secondary status in the hierarchy of music. Its practitioners must push for change.

Aneesh Pradhan

· Aug 13, 2022 · 07:30 am

Listen: These Bihu songs reveal the rhythms and routines of rural Assam

Their lyrics speak of everything from love and marriage to environment and working-class struggles.

Joyshri Pathak

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Aditya Ranjan Pathak

· Apr 24, 2021 · 11:30 am

Nearly 30 years after Fela Kuti’s death, the music world is still playing catch up

The Nigerian icon’s nomination for a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame spot can only be received with mixed feelings.

Sanya Osha, The Conversation

· Apr 22, 2021 · 11:30 pm

Audio cassettes are ‘a bit rubbish’, so why did their sales double during the pandemic?

Cassette tapes are in again – and this time, it's smaller artists who look likely to gain.

Iain Taylor, The Conversation

· Mar 27, 2021 · 09:30 pm

Rhythm of change: The complex world of underground music in Kashmir

Kashmir’s independent music artists are following their bliss in the face of trying political and social pressures.

Nandini Sen

· Mar 13, 2021 · 11:30 am

Advice from the greats: Plagiarism is ‘natural and necessary’ to make groundbreaking music

The history of rock is one of theft, beginning with Elvis’s debut single.

Ross Cole, The Conversation

· May 31, 2020 · 11:30 pm

On UK’s music charts, a pro-Brexit song and the ‘Anthem for Europe’ compete for the top spot

On the one hand, there’s Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’. On the other, there’s Dominic Frisby’s ‘17 Million Fuck Offs’.

Adam Behr, The Conversation

· Feb 08, 2020 · 09:30 pm

Remembering the Khasi singer who immortalised fading folktales and village life

Through his music, Skendrowell Syiemlieh spoke of forgotten myths, folktales, ethics and ways of life.

Donboklang Ryntathiang

· Sep 26, 2019 · 11:30 am

Video: How Nokia’s signature ringtone was created from the work of a 19th century Spanish guitarist

Long after Francisco Tárrega died, a snippet from his solo ‘Gran Vals’ was revived in the most unexpected way.

Ramakrishnan M

· Mar 22, 2018 · 05:28 pm