Baithak sets the stage for Marathi music at Kala Studio in Mumbai

Prachi Dublay records music with the Pando tribe in Chhattisgarh

It was six months ago that a group of language and culture enthusiasts came together to organise a monthly series of presentations and lecture-demos, called the Baithak. "The idea is to promote Marathi and its cultural ethos. In the past, we have had sessions on Dalit food culture, children's education in tribal areas and also dance theatre," says Kunal Vijayakar, who organises the event along with Bhushan Korgaonkar, Savitri Medhatul, Anupama Joshi, Amrish Chandan and Manisha Korde.

This week, the Baithak will feature a two-hour Marathi solo presentation by vocalist, researcher and academician Prachi Dublay. The Story of Adivasi Music is a lecture-cum-demo on how modernisation has impacted traditional tribal music. It will feature stories from her journey into the heart of India's tribal communities, audio-visual slides which she has documented on the field during the last seven years and a few songs sung live.

"With an ethnomusicological context, the mainland of India mostly dwells in exoticism as far as Adim Sangeet (tribal music) is concerned. But on a closer look, I find it closely entwined with my own music and existence," says Dublay, who has 20 years of experience as a performer and broadcaster.

She has also lent her voice to a few films, one of which was Shwaas, India's entry to the Oscars. For the past few years,Dublay has been collecting, interpreting, singing, teaching and writing on Adivasi music. Her work has taken her to various tribal belts across Himachal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala and Karnataka. She aims at preserving and propagating the heritage of this indigenous musical tradition of India.

ON: February 5, 5 pm to 7 pm
AT: Kala Studio, 17th Road Khar (W)
CALL: 9892075622
COST: Rs 100