The Last Bhopa: The Effects of Modernization on Folk Culture in India

Praveen Singh Rathore is a documentary filmmaker and director of the organization Music of Rajasthan. He has worked extensively with the traditional folk musicians and artisans of rural Rajasthan, a state in northwestern India. Rathore will screen his 15-minute film "The Last Bhopa" and discuss how development in India has impacted the lives of traditional musicians and artisans, including Bhopas, semi-nomadic priest singers of the folk deities in Rajasthan. Rathore received training in audio-visual archiving at the American Resource Center for Ethnomusicology in Gurgaon, India. He has coordinated cultural programming for international festivals and performances in the vicinity of Jodphur, India, including the Rajasthan International Folk Festival.