The Manganiars are hereditary caste musicians of the Marwar region of Rajasthan in Western India. They are part of the tradition of “jajmani” in India where one caste provides services to another, in this case musical services, at times of births, weddings and death. This panel will deal with the current status of their patronage and practice in the era of globalization, as the Manganiars with their great musical heritage and flair for performance have become regulars on the world music scene. What does globalisation mean to a community which still dwells in small villages, which still has ties with the local patrons and performs in the capitals of Europe? The research that this paper draws on has been from the per-spective of an archives, and will thus also deal with the challenges of archiving such traditions, including aspects of documentation and dissemination. The Manganiars also represent the plural-ity of Indian culture where they as Muslims perform for Hindu patrons, sing of Hindu deities, and are a part of the ritual lives of their patron communities. The talk will be illustrated with audio and video examples.

Panel Participants:

Ludwig Pesch (Sampurna, Amsterdam)

Prof. Dr. Kazuyuki Funatsu (Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Japan / Institute for South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies, University of Vienna)

Prof. Dr. Regine Allgayer-Kaufmann (Institute for Musicology, University of Vienna)