Arnold Bake Day for Etnomusicologie: Tradition as Inspiration, Universiteitstheater Amsterdam, 30 november, 13-18h.

The Arnold Bake Society for the Performing Arts Worldwide was founded in 1984. Its purpose is to provide a platform for those involved in any way in the study, teaching, enjoyment or preservation of world music, dance and other performing arts. The Society takes its name from the Dutch ethnomusicologist and Sanskritist Arnold Bake (1899-1963) who was one of the first to make extensive field recordings all over South Asia.
The Arnold Bake Society hosts two Bake Days per year. 

De Najaarsdag 2024 van de Arnold Bake Society for Ethnomusicology and the performing arts worldwide, vindt plaats op zaterdag 30 november, tussen 13 en 18 uur.

Thema: Tradition as Inspration

Aan de orde komen voorbeelden van Indiase klassieke dhrupad zang, Soefi muziektraditie, geinspireerd op de geschiften van de Perzische/Turkse filosoof en dichter Jalal al-Dhin Rumi, de Japanse harp en de Afro-Surinaamse Liedtraditie / kinderliedjes waar nog de herinnering aan het slavernijverleden in doorklinkt.

Programme 30 November: Tradition as Inspiration

13:00 welcome and introduction

13:15 Marianne Svasek and Nathanael van Zuilen: Dhrupad – an ancient singing tradition fron Northern India.

14:00 Rokus de Groot: the inspiration from Rumi on the tradition of Sufi music.

14:45 Thee break

15:15 Masumi Nagasawa: Japanese harp

16:30 Martijn Baaijens & Ganesh Ramjan

17:15 Dunya Verwey: Update of the Videoproject ‘Bigi Kaaiman – Songs & Tales from Slavery Times’ of Museum Geelvinck.

18:00 closure

A note on ‘Bigi Kaaiman – Songs & Tales from Slavery Times’:

in the year 2023-2024, in which the 150 years abolition of slavery in Suriname has been remembered and celebrated, we have highlighted one aspect of the musical traditions of the Afro-Surinamese community: songs and especially children songs, in which the memory of slavery times still could be heard. A small team of singer and actress Gerda Havertong, Jazz musician, flutist and composer Ronald Snijders and anthropologist Dunya Verwey traveled to Suriname in May 2024, with one question on their mind: are these songs still remembered and transmitted to the next generation? aIn short: is it living musical heritage? We will present in a 45 documentary, what our search for an answer to this question brought to light.

Nathaniel van Zuilen – tabla

Martijn Baaijens – sarod, foto Martinez

Rokus de Groot – etnomusicoloog

Jalal Dhin Rumi (1207-1270)

from left to right: Dunya Verwey, Ronald Snijders and Gerda Havertong on their visit to Kaaimangrassi / Suriname