UCLA Appoints Ethnomusicology Professor to the Bakë-Jairazbhoy Chair for Indian Ocean Studies
In the heart of Kerala, India, a remarkable journey of preservation and revitalisation is underway. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, the inaugural holder of the Bakë-Jairazbhoy Chair for Indian Ocean Studies at Pocker Sahib Memorial Orphanage College, is spearheading efforts to bring back to life the Mappila pattu, a unique genre of folk music and oral poetry that has been largely forgotten for over eight decades.
The Mappila pattu, sung in Malayalam with a strong Arabic and Urdu influence, is a living archive of the Mappila Muslim community's history, beliefs, and everyday life. These songs, which often tell stories of migration, religious devotion, and resistance, have their roots in the Malabar Coast of India, where they emerged as a means of cultural expression among Muslims in Kerala.
Historically, the Mappila pattu served as a vehicle for expressing dissidence, solidarity, and identity, particularly during the Malabar Rebellion of 1921. This period saw the Mappilas rising against both British colonial rule and local Hindu landlords, making the Mappila pattu a powerful symbol of resistance and unity.
Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, a renowned ethnomusicologist, has been working tirelessly to document and preserve the Mappila pattu and other forms of folk and devotional music from the Malabar region. Her extensive work includes ethnographic field recording, academic publication, and multimedia presentations to ensure the music's accessibility for future generations.
One of her most significant achievements is the restoration of a rare collection of Mappila songs. Originally recorded in 1938 by Arnold Adriaan Bakë using a Tefifon recorder, the songs were repatriated to the Archives and Research Center for Ethnomusicology (ARCE) at the American Institute of Indian Studies in 1984 by Catlin-Jairazbhoy and Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy. After the restoration project, local Mappila singers will have access to high-quality recordings which they can learn to perform and teach again, after a hiatus of 85 years.
Catlin-Jairazbhoy plans to digitally re-master and archive these recordings, as well as prepare interpretive notes for public release. She has also invited the collaboration of ARCE for an exciting upcoming project. Moreover, she aims to bring together the Ethnomusicology Archive at UCLA with the PSMO Archive, further bolstering the preservation of these precious musical traditions.
In addition to the musical recordings, Arabi-Malayalam lyrics of the Mappila songs will be transcribed and translated into English. This will not only make the songs more accessible but also provide valuable insights into the community's history, beliefs, and cultural practices.
As the Mappila pattu and other forms of Malabar music are in danger of being lost due to their reliance on oral transmission, Catlin-Jairazbhoy's work is crucial in preserving these intangible cultural heritage for future generations. Her dedication to documenting, researching, and promoting endangered musical traditions has earned her international acclaim as one of the world's leading experts on South Asian classical and folk music.
Visual and cultural records, such as those highlighted by the Historical Society of Cochin, complement musical documentation by providing insight into the attire, communal spirit, and social customs of the Mappila Muslims. These efforts collectively ensure that the Mappila pattu remains a vibrant and understood part of Kerala’s cultural landscape.
The preservation efforts led by Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy extend beyond music, as she also aims to transcribe and translate the Arabi-Malayalam lyrics of Mappila songs into English, making them more accessible and providing valuable insights into the Mappila Muslim community's history, beliefs, and cultural practices.
In her goal to preserve the Mappila pattu and other forms of Malabar music, Catlin-Jairazbhoy plans to make use of online-education resources, such as digitally re-mastering and archiving the recordings, and collaborating with institutions like the Ethnomusicology Archive at UCLA and the PSMO Archive, thereby promoting education-and-self-development in these intangible cultural heritage areas.
