Recasting Folk in the Himalayas

Colonialist, nationalist, and regionalist ideologies have profoundly influenced folk music and related musical practices among the Garhwali and Kumaoni of Uttarakhand. Stefan Fiol blends historical and ethnographic approaches to unlock these influences and explore a paradox: how the œfolk  designation can alternately identify a universal stage of humanity, or denote alterity and subordination. Fi...