Music Varsity to institutionalise and document tribal forms of music and dance: Vice-Chancellor

Mysore/Mysuru: Karnataka State Dr. Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University, Mysuru, will introduce certificate courses and diploma courses in tribal dance and music in a bid to conserve rare and unique tribal music and dance forms for posterity, said Music University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nagesh V. Bettakote.

He was speaking at a seminar to mark the Tribal Dance Festival at Music University on Wednesday. The VC added that the courses will be introduced in the current academic year.

The seminar was held as part of the three-day festival to mark the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. The event was jointly organised by South Central Zone Cultural Centre, Nagpur, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in association with the All India Folk and Tribal Art Parishat (New Delhi), Mysuru Unit, Music University, Rangayana and KSOU.

“India’s fine art forms including dance and music were rooted in tribal traditions. There is a need to institutionalise and document to preserve tribal forms of music and dance for future generations. Though the documentation, preservation and dissemination of the art forms are taking in a sporadic and random manner, there is a need for a systematic study,” he said.

Training centre at Devanahalli to teach drum beats

“The Music Varsity has established a training centre at Devanahalli to teach drum beats to the youths based on tribal arts and this centre has completed four years and is successfully running. As the next step, we will take up the documentation and prepare notations for different forms of tribal music and dance in their pure form and make them available to those interested to study them,” he added.

To start with, the Music Varsity will identify four forms of tribal dance and music and prepare the notations. “The National Education Policy also provides such an opportunity and we will collaborate with related institutions for the purpose,” he said.

Director of Karnataka Tribal Research Institute Rajesh G. Gowda said that the Institute will collaborate with Music and Folk Universities to take the documentation and dissemination project forward. “A National-level tribal music and dance festival will be conducted in Ballari during September to give an impetus to tribal cultural forms. President Droupadi Murmu, who hails from the tribal community would be invited to the festival,” he said.

Nirmal Vaidya, President, All India Folk and Tribal Art Parishat, Hassan Raghu, General Secretary of the Parishat, Dr. Vasanth Kumar, Chief Coordinator of the Mysuru Unit of the Parishat, Music University Registrar Prof. T.S. Devaraju and retired Professor Talwar were among those present.