Sacred Offerings: Mirāsī Dialogues of Interfaith: ISM Fellows Lunch Talk with Suhail Yusuf

The development of Hindustani, the art music tradition of North India, in the West helps to “preserve and promote.” However, it has not yet been “practiced and created” in the context of interfaith studies. A recontextualized perspective on Hindustani music within academia allows Mirāsīs, including myself, to challenge the “purity” narrative and explore ways of building community. The Mirāsī (from Arabic mīrās: “inheritance,” “heritage”) are an under-represented caste of Muslim musicians, dancers, genealogists, and other kinds of tradition-bearers. They were central to forming a pluralistic set of cultural practices in North India and Pakistan but have been marginalized socially and economically by Indic caste hierarchical ideologies and British colonial policy. Building on Eboo Patel’s recent book, We Need To Build: Field Notes For Diverse Democracy (2022), I pose several questions: How does democracy function in a culture marred by discrimination and essentialism that seeks to define and assert authority? Can music and dance cultures move beyond caste and class hierarchies? How might Mirāsī identities morph in the age of Hindutva (Hindu nationalism)? I argue that dialogues of interfaith have long been a part of Mirāsī approaches to music-making. The cultural history of Mirāsī communities, reflected in Hindu, Sikh, and Sufi devotional music traditions, offers a valuable framework for fostering inclusive communities.

This event is free, but registration is required. Lunch will be provided.

Open to Yale Community only.

Contact: Katya Vetrov

Speaker Bio:

Suhail Yusuf (PhD, Ethnomusicology, Wesleyan University) is a distinguished hereditary sarangi (North Indian bowed viol) player and the first PhD holder from the Mirāsī community, brings a unique blend of musical expertise and scholarly rigor to academia. Yusuf’s research offers a critical inquiry into Hindustani music, exploring the political and affective affordances in contexts from situating marginalized hereditary Muslim musician communities to social movements. At ISM, Yusuf is teaching while also developing specialized articles and preparing for the March 2025 premiere of a unique performance project showcasing ideas of interfaith musicality.