SOAS Research Online

A Free Database of the Latest Research by SOAS Academics and PhD Students

[skip to content]

Tallotte, William (2015) 'Meaningful Adjustments: Musical Performance and Ritual Action in a South Indian Temple.' Analytical Approaches to World Music, 4 (1). pp. 1-22.

[img]
Preview
Text - Published Version
Download (818kB) | Preview

Abstract

In this article, I analyze music and context as two interconnected parts. I examine musical performance and ritual action in a South Indian temple, focusing on the spatial, temporal and structural relationship between the music of an outdoor ensemble of shawm and drum players, the periya mēḷam, and the activities carried out by priests during the last daily worship performed in the Śaiva temple complex of Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. The analysis, based on interviews, observations, and recorded performances of the same piece during the same ritual sequence, raises questions about the coordination of musical and ritual times, the performance process and the nature of musicians’ knowledge, and the significance of music to cultural knowledge in the context of Hindu ritual. Overall, I show that musical analysis, when carefully situated, may help us to understand music as a meaningful manifestation of human experience.

Item Type: Journal Article
SOAS Departments & Centres: Legacy Departments > Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Department of Music
ISSN: 21585296
Date Deposited: 05 Jun 2015 09:13
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/19973

Altmetric Data

There is no Altmetric data currently associated with this item.

Statistics

Download activity - last 12 monthsShow export options
Downloads since deposit
6 month trend
338Downloads
6 month trend
269Hits
Accesses by country - last 12 monthsShow export options
Accesses by referrer - last 12 monthsShow export options

Repository staff only

Edit Item Edit Item