Nacnī

Music of India
Music of India
	A lady playing the Tanpura, c. 1735 (Rajasthan)
Genres
	Traditional Classical Carnatic; Odissi; Hindustani; ; Folk; Borgeet; Baul; Bhajan; Kirtana; Shyama Sangeet; Ramprasadi; Rabindra Sangeet; Nazrul Geeti; Dwijendrageeti; Atulprasadi; Prabhat Samgiita; Thumri; Dadra; Chaiti; Kajari; Sufi Ghazal; Qawwali; ; Modern Bhangra Bhangragga; ; Blues; Filmi Bollywood; Ghazal; Qawwali; ; Chakwood; Goa trance; Dance; Indi-pop Asian Underground; ; Jazz; Rock Bengali; Raga; ;
Media and performance
Music awards	Filmfare Awards; Sangeet Natak Akademi Award;
Music festivals	Saptak Festival of Music; Chennai Music Season; Dover Lane music festival; Purandaradasa Aradhana; Tyagaraja Aradhana; Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan;
Music media	Sruti; The Record;
Nationalistic and patriotic songs
National anthem	Jana Gana Mana
Regional music
	Andaman and Nicobar Islands; Andhra Pradesh; Arunachal Pradesh; Assam; Bihar (Maithili); Chhattisgarh; Goa; Gujarat; Haryana; Himachal Pradesh; Jammu and Kashmir; Ladakh; Jharkhand; Karnataka; Kerala; Madhya Pradesh; Maharashtra; Manipur; Meghalaya; Mizoram; Nagaland; Odisha; Punjab; Rajasthan; Sikkim; Tamil Nadu Ancient; ; Tripura; Uttar Pradesh; Uttarakhand; West Bengal;
	v; t; e;

Nacni means female dancer in north Indian languages. In the east-central Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Orissa, the term nacnī (lit. "dancer" pronounced NUCH-nee) refers to female performers who sing and dance professionally in rural areas, accompanied by male ḍhulkī and nagarā drummers who move around the stage with her.^[1]^[2]

Women who perform as nacnīs are considered "kept women" and are usually paired in an informal "marriage" with a male manager and dancing partner, typically of a higher caste.^[3]^[4] In this pairing, nacnīs are thought to embody the goddess Radha while the male dancing partner is a stand-in for Krishna. The performers are considered out-caste and in many ways transgress usual Indian caste and gender distinctions both on and off stage, taking on a certain power role among their "fans" and often engaging in "typically male" behavior, such as drinking and smoking.^[5]^[6] This style of performance is rapidly disappearing.^[7]

References[edit]

↑ Babiracki, Carol M. (2008), "Between Life History and Performance: Sundari Devi and the Art of Allusion", Ethnomusicology, 52:1: 1–5
↑ Citron, Marcia J. (2005), "Women's Voices across Musical Worlds (review)", Music and Letters, 86: 508–512, doi:10.1093/ml/gci090
↑ Feldman & Gordon (2006). The courtesan's arts: cross-cultural perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 118. ISBN 9780195170290.
↑ Babiracki, Carol M. (2008), "Between Life History and Performance: Sundari Devi and the Art of Allusion", Ethnomusicology, 52:1: 3–6
↑ Soren, Ragnhild (1999), Gendered Images of Music and Musicians (PDF)
↑ Babiracki, Carol M. (2008), "Between Life History and Performance: Sundari Devi and the Art of Allusion", Ethnomusicology, 52:1: 5–6
↑ Feliciano, Rita (2006), "Kathak at the Crossroads: Innovation Within Tradition", Dance View Times, 4:35

Template:Oriya culture

Dear reader, We kindly request your support in maintaining the independence of Bharatpedia. As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on small donations to sustain our operations and provide free access to reliable information to the world. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to consider donating to our cause, as it would greatly aid us in our mission. Your contribution would demonstrate the importance of reliable and trustworthy knowledge to you and the world. Thank you.

Please select an option below or scan the QR code to donate
₹150 ₹500 ₹1,000 ₹2,000 ₹5,000 ₹10,000 Other

[1] Babiracki, Carol M. (2008), "Between Life History and Performance: Sundari Devi and the Art of Allusion", Ethnomusicology, 52:1: 1–5

[2] Citron, Marcia J. (2005), "Women's Voices across Musical Worlds (review)", Music and Letters, 86: 508–512, doi:10.1093/ml/gci090

[3] Feldman & Gordon (2006). The courtesan's arts: cross-cultural perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 118. ISBN 9780195170290.

[4] Babiracki, Carol M. (2008), "Between Life History and Performance: Sundari Devi and the Art of Allusion", Ethnomusicology, 52:1: 3–6

[5] Soren, Ragnhild (1999), Gendered Images of Music and Musicians (PDF)

[6] Babiracki, Carol M. (2008), "Between Life History and Performance: Sundari Devi and the Art of Allusion", Ethnomusicology, 52:1: 5–6

[7] Feliciano, Rita (2006), "Kathak at the Crossroads: Innovation Within Tradition", Dance View Times, 4:35

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]