Madras Cafe Unlocked 2020: Painting a Picture of Rural Music from India with Rolf Kilius

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Ivan Nutbrown from Action Village India interviews videographer and ethnomusicologist Rolf Killius about his mission to document and research traditional music from India. Rolf plays and introduces selected musical pieces from members of rural communities. He has collected and documented these rural music genres during his numerous fieldwork trips to India spanning nearly three decades.

Rolf Killius is a consultant (museums, exhibitions and media), exhibition curator, oral historian, ethnomusicologist (MMus SOAS, London University), sound and film producer/editor and radio journalist, whose work appears in a variety of contexts. He works in exhibition curating, academic research, music and sound production, film production and editing and oral history. Rolf, a German-born British resident, has lived in Germany, Qatar, Switzerland and India and presently divides his time between London, UK and India.

http://www.rolfkillius.com/biography.html

Ivan says “Living in India for 18 months at the age of 21 transformed my life. Working at a Gandhian residential school in Bihar, one of the poorest states in India taught me a lot, including respect for the daily farm labourers and for the teachers and community workers who were deeply committed to their work. Later, I was able to continue supporting those working for non-violent change in India through Action Village India as a founder member then Coordinator and now as Founder/Advisor. Friendships made at that time, 50 years ago, are still strong and important to me today.”

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About Madras Café Unlocked

As a result of COVID-19, WOMAD festival 2020 has been cancelled which has a huge impact on Madras Café and AVI. This is normally a key fundraising event and opportunity to raise awareness about AVI’s solidarity with rural communities across India. Our re-imagined event, Madras Café Unlocked brings you a summer of online content in support of Action Village India and partners. We launch our five ‘stages’: Madras Café Family, Madras Boombox, Food for Thought, Partnerships & Solidarity and our Exhibition: Food for Justice and Peace on the 24th, 25th & 26th of July and events will run throughout the summer up to 26th September, when we conclude with an International meal in support of Jai Jagat 2020.

Please visit our website www.madrascafeunlocked.co.uk for more information.