Singing the Himalayan Crossroads places the traditional song repertoires of the former Himalayan kingdom of Ladakh in both their historical and modern contexts. Although scholarly, it is aimed at a broad general audience, including people interested in ethnomusicology, Tibet, Buddhism, the Silk Road, or the music and cultures of Central and South Asia.
While many songs contain texts that evoke Buddhist meditative visualization practices, at the same time, Muslims, both Sunni and Shia, were prominent in Silk Road caravans that enriched the Buddhist aristocracy. Songs from these Muslim traders often mention important religious sites in Kashmir while having nostalgia for the sights of the Ladakhi capital, Leh. Interweaving these themes, author Noe Dinnerstein mixes a relaxed, conversational narrative with the music and poetry of the songs to evoke the crossroads of High Asia.
Singing the Himalayan Crossroads: Traditional Songs of Ladakh, Noe Dinnerstein, Suny Press, Hardcover, 312 pages, $120.00
Noe Dinnerstein is Adjunct Associate Professor of Music at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. He is coeditor, with Lawrence Beaumont and Somangshu Mukherji, of Trends in World Music Analysis: New Directions in World Music Analysis.
List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Recording Acknowledgments Introduction 1. A Cultural and Historical Overview of Ladakh 2. Buddhism in Ladakhi Traditional Songs 3. Music in Muslim Communities 4. Music in a Changing Society 5. Songs and Cultural Representation in the Modern Market 6. Other Song Genres 7. Musical Characteristics of Traditional Ladakhi Song 8. Concluding Summary Glossary Appendixes Notes Bibliography Index
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