ABSTRACT
The music of South Asia, particularly that of the Indian classical-music traditions, has evolved a unique relationship with the West: it “is the only major system outside the West that has succeeded in maintaining its traditions largely unmarked by the West … and that has journeyed away from its cultural home to be welcomed elsewhere” (Neuman 1990:17). This very strength of tradition accounts in part for the success Indian music has enjoyed in the West. On the one hand, Western audiences have related to the complexity and musical integrity of Indian music as similar to their own classical systems; on the other hand, Indian music and musicians represent an exotic culture, communicating an attractive ambience both mystical and aesthetic, and well suited to Western expectations.
