Julia Charlotte Maitland in Chennai - 30 January, 1837, at night

from Letters from Madras during the years 1836-1839, pages 'Letter the Seventh':

Then the entertainment began: they had procured the musicians, dancers and cooks belonging to the Nabob, in order that we should see all the Mussulman amusements, as well as those of the Hindoos. First, then, came in an old man with a long white beard, to play and sing to the vina, an instrument like a large mandoline, very pretty and antique to look at, but not much to hear. His music was miserable, just a mixture of twang and whine. and quite monotonous, without even a pretence to a tune. When we were quite tired of him, he was dismissed, and the Nabob's dancing girls came in: most …   more >>

cite as

Julia Charlotte Maitland, Letters from Madras during the years 1836-1839 (London, 1846), p. 'Letter the Seventh'. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1427218154068 accessed: 28 March, 2024

location of experience: Chennai

Listeners

Julia Charlotte Maitland
traveller, Writer
1808-1864

Listening to

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Indian vocal and instrumental music performed by Indian musicians, a dancer, an old man

Experience Information

Date/Time 30 January, 1837, at night
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, in private, indoors

Originally submitted by Robert Fraser on Tue, 24 Mar 2015 17:29:14 +0000
Approved on Mon, 09 Nov 2020 17:44:10 +0000