Book excerpt: "In moving from the quiet courtyards of Tanjore to the concert halls of Madras, the social context of music and performance underwent a striking transformation. Traditional music was also used in the freedom movement as an emblem of India's uniqueness and independent identity. Departing from conventional scholarship on the subject, Lakshmi Subramnian presents a distinctive account of the making of a modern classical tradition." "Subramanian traces the changes in traditional music in south India as it adapted to the necessities of colonial and postcolonial social realities. Her engaging narrative of the production of knowledge about music and the related institution- building process raise larger questions of identify and imagination. She also discusses the influence of nationalism in the creation of an auditory habit."--BOOK JACKET.