[1]World music concert

Friday, April 26. 2013
4-6 p.m.
1117 University Capitol Centre

Lakha Khan of the desert village of Raneri, Jodhpur District, in Rajasthan, India, is an acclaimed maestro of the folk sarangi, an upright bowed lute known for its soul-stirring sound. He belongs to the Manganiyar community, which is both Hindu and Muslim in practice, and has for centuries exceled in Rajasthani traditional and Sufi mystical music, bridging the gap between classical and folk. Lakha sings in Hindi, Sindhi, Marwari, and Punjabi, and will be accompanied by his son, Dane Khan, on dholak (a double-headed drum). A translator will interpret the lyrics.

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[3]“So How Many Languages Are Hindi-Urdu Anyway?"

Friday, May 3, 2013
4 p.m.
University Capitol Centre, Room 2520B

For almost two centuries, scholars have tried to clarify the relations between two language varieties commonly referred to as “Hindi” and “Urdu,” sometimes lumped together under the hyphenated rubric of “Hindi-Urdu.” This talk will describe the complex of historical, cultural, and political factors that have fed this debate and how these factors have been reflected in grammars, dictionaries, pedagogical materials, and linguistic studies. It will also explore the real-world consequences of these terminological issues, whether in second-language classrooms or in formulating language policies for modern nation states.

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