Nazir Jairazbhoy

Nazir Jairazbhoy
Name	Nazir Jairazbhoy
Birth date	1927
Death date	2009
Birth place	Bombay
Occupation	Ethnomusicologist, composer
Alma mater	Durham University, SOAS University of London, University of California, Los Angeles

Nazir Jairazbhoy was an Indian-born ethnomusicologist and composer who became a prominent scholar of Hindustani classical music and South Asian musical traditions. He conducted fieldwork across India, contributed to the development of ethnomusicology in the United States, and held faculty positions that connected institutions such as UCLA, SOAS University of London, and Durham University. Jairazbhoy collaborated with musicians and scholars linked to institutions like the American Institute of Indian Studies, the Library of Congress, and the Smithsonian Institution.

Early life and education

Born in Bombay in 1927, Jairazbhoy grew up amid cultural milieus associated with figures such as Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and institutions like the Bhatkhande Music Institute. He studied at Durham University and later trained at SOAS University of London where contacts included scholars from Oxford University and Cambridge University. He completed graduate work at the University of California, Los Angeles where he engaged with faculty linked to Alan Lomax, Bruno Nettl, and the ethnomusicological community around the American Folklife Center.

Career and research

Jairazbhoy's research focused on Hindustani classical music, Carnatic music, and regional genres found in Punjab, Bengal, and Rajasthan. He conducted field recordings that entered archives such as the Library of Congress and the British Library, and collaborated with projects at the Smithsonian Institution and the International Council for Traditional Music. His methodological approaches intersected with work by Curt Sachs, Erich von Hornbostel, and contemporaries including Alan Lomax, Mantle Hood, and Bruno Nettl. Jairazbhoy engaged in comparative studies referencing performers like Ustad Vilayat Khan, Bismillah Khan, Zakir Hussain, and scholars at the School of Oriental and African Studies. His fieldwork addressed performance practice, raga theory, and oral transmission as seen in studies connected to Raga specialists, musicologists at Columbia University, and conservatories such as the Juilliard School.

Publications and compositions

He authored monographs, articles, and liner notes incorporating analyses comparable to publications from Ethnomusicology (journal), Journal of the American Musicological Society, and edited volumes from Routledge and Cambridge University Press. Jairazbhoy's writings discussed repertoire attributed to artists like Allauddin Khan, Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, and historical sources including manuscripts housed at the Asiatic Society of Mumbai and the British Museum. As a composer, he created works performed in contexts associated with the Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and university recital series at UCLA and Harvard University. His catalog included analytical pieces that referenced theoretical frameworks used by Heinrich Schenker, Nadia Boulanger, and Leonard Bernstein.

Teaching and academic positions

Jairazbhoy held professorships and visiting appointments at UCLA, where he influenced students linked to programs at Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago. He participated in exchanges with faculty at SOAS University of London, University of Oxford, and the University of California, Berkeley. His pedagogical network included collaborations with performers from the Ali Akbar College of Music and partnerships with centers like the American Institute of Indian Studies and the California Institute of the Arts. Jairazbhoy supervised dissertations that intersected with departments at Columbia University, New York University, and the University of Michigan.

Personal life and family

Jairazbhoy married into a family connected to musical and academic circles including links to performers from Bombay and scholars associated with Durham University and SOAS University of London. His relatives maintained involvement with institutions such as the Asian Musicological Society and cultural organizations like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Personal associations included friendships with musicians connected to All India Radio broadcasts and academic colleagues at the University of California campuses.

Awards and recognition

During his career, Jairazbhoy received honors from organizations including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences-affiliated networks, recognition from the Society for Ethnomusicology, and fellowships tied to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Institute of Indian Studies. His archival collections were acquired by repositories such as the Library of Congress and the British Library, and he was cited in surveys alongside scholars like Bruno Nettl, Alan Lomax, and Mantle Hood.

Category:Ethnomusicologists Category:Indian composers Category:1927 births Category:2009 deaths