Toward a Dialectical Understanding of North Indian Drumming Traditions: Musical Labor, Dance, and the Folk/Classical Distinction in Banaras

Abstracts: The distinction between “ folk” and “classical” is frequently invoked in discourses about North Indian music. This article investigates drumming traditions in the North Indian city of Banaras (Varanasi) to explore the nature of this distinction. Drawing on historical, ethnographic, and formalist methodologies, it proposes a dialectical approach to the study of drumming in North India. Particular attention is given to the structure of hereditary musical labor, the intertwined history of dancing and drumming, and the relationship between folk and classical drumming traditions in Banaras.