The Effects of Globalisation, Modernization and Politics on the Apprenticeship of Dāphā Music : An Ethnographic Study from Tahnani, Kirtipur, Nepal

Abstract: This dissertation explores the changing apprenticeship environment within the Dāphā Khalaḥ from Kirtipur Newar communities. The Dāphā music tradition comes from Nepal and is one of the oldest music traditions in South Asia.  This tradition has been practiced for centuries by the Newars, the indigenous people of Kathmandu. The purpose of this study is to assess how the Dāphā music tradition presumably is changing through apprenticeships, which are increasingly separated from their traditional contexts in various ways or degrees, a process that I characterize as a shift from apprenticeship to performance. In addition, the study explores the relationship between traditional apprenticeship and modern styles that incorporate the Newar music tradition. Reviewing socio-political influences and motivations behind musical changes, I argue that the Dāphā music tradition presumably is changing due to changed apprenticeships. Through the statistical analysis, a survey in Kirtipur revealed that Dāphā music was significantly affected by modernization and globalization. Furthermore, the study contributes to the ethnographic literature on musical tradition and change with a particular focus on modernity, as well as to discourses on ethnic and indigenous identity. This study was conducted in TDK (Tahnani Dāphā Khalaḥ, Kirtipur), where the Dāphā group adapted to new types of apprenticeship in order to preserve their culture, thereby fostering a revival of their once endangered music tradition. Today interested member of the community is allowed to participate in Dāphā music apprenticeship regardless of caste or gender.