Purab Riddhi Chaudhuri
Ethnomusicologist, Film Maker,
PhD Research Scholar at
Department of Music
UCC, Ireland
PhD theme
Dialogues and Crossovers in Miji-Miguñ among the Apatanis of Arunachal Pradesh through Applied Ethnomusicology (Unpublished 2025)
HIGHLIGHTS
The section above (*PhD Music Examples) highlights the musical examples mentioned in the chapters of my Doctoral thesis with my personal audio-video films and recordings of Apatani miji-miguñ. The examples comprise of various kinds of Apatani songs (biisi) in chapters one two and three along with instrumental music in chapter three, older ritual singing excerpts , along with newer emerging singing styles in chapter four and five.
The musical examples of the Apatani people mentioned and written about in the course of the thesis can be heard in each of the Chapter 1,2,3,4,5 individually in the header on top of the page.
In all the collaborative approaches and engaged endeavours undertaken there was prior consensus and in some case written consent forms filled out by oral tradition experts, singers, ritual specialists and cultural activists.
Copy right belongs to the Apatani community members and Purab Riddhi Chaudhuri.
Nyibu Ligang Kago performing Korlañ ritual Mudang Tage while his assistant (Gora) is repeating after the nyibu is an early form of indigenous transmission technique
Please scroll up and look into the
"PhD Music Examples next to the Home Button on the header! Thank you!
Research Focus
Purab Riddhi Chaudhuri is dedicated to the study of Ethnomusicology and the application of its principles in various cultural contexts. This PhD research investigates the epistemological and ontological dimensions of Apatani musical and ritual performance traditions in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India. Centered on miji-migun songs, it explores how indigenous knowledge is transmitted through oral and performative epistemologies. Divided into two parts—DIALOGUES and CROSSOVERS—the thesis interweaves ethnographic fieldwork, interviews, and collaborative workshops with singers, Nyibus (ritual specialists), and cultural practitioners. The five chapters draw on ritual songs, Apatani biisi, contemporary performances, and interview excerpts, which are archived on this website to offer readers a holistic understanding of Apatani ritual and performative depth. The study positions community music as a site of identity and continuity, advocating for ethical visibility and international recognition of Apatani heritage within global discourses on indigeneity.
Latest Publications
