Introduction

Stephen Winick, photographer. *The Dancing Monks of Assam perform a dance with khols (double headed drums) and cymbals.* The Sattriya Dance Company with the Dancing Monks of Assam, 2018. American Folklife Center Library of Congress.

American Folklife Center collections from India document the diversity of its expressive culture in India and the United States. Among its unique collections are the John W. Moyer collection documenting music and dance in Dharmasala, Assam and various other locations in India; the "All India" radio transcription discs of folksongs from Tiruchchirāppalli, Tamil Nadu, made in 1956; ethnographic documentation by folklorist Frank J. Korom made in Uttar Prades and West Bengal; and documentation of epics, songs, riddles, and proberbs in Tamil Nadu by Brenda Beck.

Public programs at the Library of Congress sponsored by the American Folklife Center related to India and Indian Americans have included concerts and lectures highlighting music, dance, arts, and culture.

Collections of Interest

The following materials link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to digital content are provided when available.

John W. Moyer recordings of Indian, Tibetan, and African music
Call Number: AFC 1999/018
Published/Created: 1953
Collection of field recordings of music and ceremonies of Tibet, recorded in Dharmasala, Assam, India in 1953 [date on container] or 1970 [date mentioned in correspondence from Moyer] recorded by John Moyer. Other recordings of dances, drumming, folk songs, customs, and ceremonies were made at various locations in India in 1953 during the time period when John Moyer was the U.S. consul to India; plus one recording of African music, undated.
All India Radio recordings of folk songs from south and west India
Call Number: AFC 1956/008
Published/Created: 1956
Radio transcription discs from the Transcription Service of All India Radio containing folksongs from Tiruchchirāppalli, Tamil Nadu; cow herding songs from Mysore, Karnataka; and shepherds' songs from Gujarat, circa 1950s.
Frank J. Korom collection
Call Number: AFC 1991/015
Published/Created: 1982-1990
Field recordings of performances and life histories recorded by Frank J. Korom in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, India, in 1982, 1983, and 1990 as part of his dissertation research (Folklore, University of Pennsylvania). Includes life histories, traditional stories, devotional songs, drumming, rural brass bands, street theater, verbal duets, mystical songs, legends, heroic songs, and performances on the classical flute and sitar.
Brenda Beck collection from Tamil Nadu, India
Call Number: AFC 2017/050
Published/Created: 1964-1977 1964-1966
Collection of field documentation, including photographs and field recordings made by Brenda E. F. Beck during her research in the Kongu area of Tamil Nadu, India from 1964-1966. Includes audio recordings of long epic stories and shorter tales, local legends, myths, proverbs, riddles, and songs, including chants, lullabies, devotional songs, wedding songs, and funeral songs. The collection is rich in documentation of oral narrative, especially tied to temple rituals and rites of passage.

Podcasts and Blog Posts

Vasant Panchami: A Celebration of Learning
Folklorist Stephanie Hall discusses the celebration of Vasant Panchami or Saraswati Puja along with a concert by Sreevidhya Chandramouli that includes a song to Saraswati. (Folklife Today blog: January 24, 2015)
Homegrown Plus: Kalanidhi Dance Company Performs Kuchipudi Dance
Folklorist Stephanie Hall presents a dance concert with the Kalanidhi Dance Compan and an interview with its founder, Anuradha Nehru (Folklife Today blog: March 21, 2019)
Homegrown Plus: The Sattriya Dance Company with the Dancing Monks of Assam
Folklorist Stephanie Hall presents a dance concert and interview with the Sattriya Dance Company and the Dancing Monks of Assam. (Folklife Today blog: March 25, 2019)
Homegrown Plus: Traditional Hindustani Music with Soumya Chakraverty and Devapriya Nayak
Folklorist Stephanie Hall presents a concert and interview with Soumya Chakraverty and Devapriya Nayak. (Folklife Today blog: July 15, 2019)

Public Programming

Concert of Baul music native to the the Indian state of Bengal. Bauls are known for devotional songs that honor the divine within. There are about 2.500 Bauls in Bengal. Their philosophy rejects divisions of caste, creed and religion, and believes in self-searching. Their sung poetry has inspired everyone from Rabindranath Tagore to Bob Dylan and, in 2008, was inscribed in UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This performance features Girish Khyapa, Rabi Das Baul, Arpan Thakur Chakraborty and Manas Acharya, all of whom sing and play traditional strings and drums. It also features Mamoni Chitrakar, who performs "pater gaan," traditional songs sung while unfurling colorful paintings that depict the stories narrated in the songs. (Event date: June 29, 2018)

Additional Public Programming

Syriac Chants & Aramaic Christianity in India
Joseph J. Palackal discusses Aramaic Christianity, an essential component of India's religious diversity. Christian faith came to the shores of South India from its source in West Asia, through the medium of the mother tongue of Jesus and the apostles. Christian Aramaic came to be known as Syriac, and due to unusual historical circumstances its tradition survived in India. (Event date: May 31, 2018)
Surati: Classical and Folk Indian Dance from New Jersey
The Surati Dance Group, founded and directed by Rimli Roy, presents the Bharatanatyam, Oddisi and Manipuri styles of Indian dance in beautifully choreographed stage performances, where "old" and "new" intertwine in a way that give their audiences not only rich experience, but also inspiration and education about the wealth and vitality of the Indian classical dance both in India and in the multicultural context of the United States. (Event date: November 19, 2008)

American Folklife Center Collections: India

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Introduction

Collections of Interest

Podcasts and Blog Posts

Public Programming

Additional Public Programming