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Komal Kothari |
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(1929-2004) |
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It is hard to categorize Komal Kothari. Though he was not an academic, he had close
associations with some of the most renowned scholars in the field of Rajasthan Studies
through his insights into folklore, ethnomusicology, and the traditional knowledge
systems of Rajasthan.
In the world of performance, he is recognized as one of the
pioneers of Rajasthani folk music who was largely responsible for organizing the
repertoire and mobilizing the exposure of folk musicians to national and international
audiences.
In activist circles, he is widely respected for his concrete understanding
of the ecological value of traditional water harvesting systems and local practices
relating to agriculture, irrigation, and waste management.
At a more intimate level,
he is remembered as an animated conversationalist who could hold the attention of
his numerous listeners for hours on end. Whether he was talking to an academic or
a villager, he could make extraordinary connections across knowledge systems with
a simplicity and directness that made him a phenomenal communicator.
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His journey began in the village of Borunda in close association with his friend
and master story-teller Vijay Dan Detha. Together they built the grassroots institution
of Rupayan Sansthan committed to the study and exploration of Rajasthani folk culture
through a vast spectrum of narratives, epics, and songs in relation to agriculture,
the caste structure, indigenous land categories, the ownership of water, among many
other critical aspects of everyday life.
As the first Secretary of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in Jodhpur, he began to explore
the musical traditions of the Langa and Manganiar communities. It is hard to believe
that in the late 1950s, these traditions were totally scattered and barely known
outside of their respective locations. Today the musicians from these communities
have travelled the world, performing in some of the most prestigious festivals and
concert venues. The self-respect and growing economic stability of these communities
can be largely attributed to Komal Kothari's intervention, which extended beyond
purely musical considerations to embrace the social and economic realities of folk
musicians.
From the late 1980s onwards, Komal Kothari shifted base back to his home-town of
Jodhpur where his work deepened with the sustained support of grants from the Ford
Foundation. His activity continued on multiple fronts--the recording and collection
of folk music, oral history, genealogy, and performance traditions; the organization
of musical concerts, seminars, and workshops; and interventions in the areas of
ecology and local knowledge within the larger contexts of modernity and the global
economy.
Perhaps, it is not altogether surprising that all these priorities should have inspired
Komal Kothari to build a museum where the different knowledge systems of the desert
could be consolidated. Towards the end of his life, he devoted most of his time
to building the infrastructure of this museum. Though
he passed away before the museum could be built, he is fondly remembered as its
founder and visionary. |
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All rights reserved with Rupayan Sansthan. Powered
By Neuerung
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