Northwest India

In the northwestern region of India, where ruling Rajput warrior clans were patrons of music as early as the sixth century, music and dance are now integral to people’s daily lives. Among the majority Hindu population, as well as in the Muslim, Jain, Sikh, and tribal communities, secular and devotional traditions are still passed on from one generation to the next. Garbā and rās circle dances, devotional bhajans, kīrtan performances, Sufi qawwalis, ritual dance dramas, epic songs, and popular bhangra...