Singing a Hindu Nation

Historically engaged, ethnographically rich, theoretically sophisticated, and clearly born out of a rich personal history within the region. Schultz provides a window into a musical world that many had no idea existed, but that has, since its inception, provided a powerful locus for the formation of Hindu nationalism at the regional level. * Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association * Singing a Hindu Nation is by far one of the best books on nationalism and the arts in modern India. Grounded in impeccable ethnographic detail, this fresh and wholly original work illustrates the affective power of Marathi kirtan by foregrounding its relationship to the state, radicalized forms of religion, and the historical imagination. Schultz's pathfinding work is a 'must read' for anyone interested in the cultural history of modern India. * Davesh Soneji, Associate Professor of South Asian Religions, McGill University * Elegantly crafted, Singing a Hindu Nation is a historically grounded ethnography of the kirtan genre of singing and storytelling in Maharashtra, India. Exploring a spectrum of devotional performances, Schultz demonstrates the potency of kirtan in animating traditional aesthetic categories and manipulating public opinion. This timely work not only reveals a lesser known facet of Hindu nationalism, it contributes significantly to the growing body of scholarship delineating music's critical role in a variety of Indian modernist projects. * Richard K. Wolf, Professor of Music and South Asian Studies, Harvard University, author of Theorizing the Local: Music Practice and Experience in South Asia and Beyond (OUP, 2009) *