TeradaYoshitaka, Professor Emeritus at the National Museum of Ethnology,
Osaka, Japan began his journey with South Indian music with a rather simple
query.Why had Periya Me¯l -am (the traditional musical genre featuring the
na¯gasvaram and the tavil), which is considered to be extremely important in
the religious and social life of South Indian Hindus, been neglected by both
Indian and non-Indian scholars?As he began his field research, Terada realized
that the history of Periya Me¯l -am is inextricably linked with the life of the master
of na¯gasvaram, T.N. Rajarattinam Pillai (1989-1956).
T.N. Rajarattinam Pillai: Charisma, Caste Rivalry and the Contested Past in South
Indian Music focuses on the influential artist's life and work, illuminating
important aspects of caste-based relations in South Indian music. Backed
by extensive field research and scholarship, this book is also a pioneering
ethnographic account of Periya Me¯l -am, its practitioners and the significant
changes in the genre that took place in the twentieth century.
