On a winter evening in 2016, Sumana Ramanan casually attends a private Hindustani music performance in South Mumbai. The singer, a man in his early seventies, specialises in khayal, one of the Indian subcontinent's most scintillating music genres, the very name of which means 'imagination'. Astounded by what she hears, Ramanan sets off on a mission to solve the mystery of the missing maestro: for, although a student of khayal, a regular concertgoer and a writer on music, she has never heard him before.

In this musical detective story, Ramanan unravels the secret of the life, art and milieu of the singer, Arun Kashalkar. He performs on the fringes of the mainstream Hindustani music ecosystem in Mumbai, which has been the epicentre of the art form since the early twentieth century. He is one of the most accomplished and charismatic figures in a wider underground scene that has been preserving this music in its most vibrant colours.

After joining Kashalkar's large student community, Ramanan grapples with his intricate and rhythm-infused style while exploring answers to fundamental questions about the nature of the mainstream and the reasons for the rise of an underground culture. The Secret Master is thus also an excavation of khayal's history and a meditation on its aesthetics and contemporary practice.

About the Author

Sumana Ramanan is an award-winning journalist with three-and-a-half decades of experience. She has worked for leading media organisations as an investigative reporter, feature writer, foreign correspondent, senior editor and columnist. She is drawn to hidden histories, narrative non-fiction and dark chocolate. For several years, she helped curate a prominent literature festival. To keep sane, she sings, swims and practises yoga. She lives in Bengaluru, but has one foot in Mumbai, where she grew up and worked for a major part of her life. Her work can be found at www.sumanaramanan.in.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

We first started out as ?The Paperback Exchange,? a chain of physical bookstores where we would part exchange your beloved books for new stories to transport you to faraway places. However, as shopping started to evolve to online shops and marketplaces, we bid our stores goodbye to become ?PBShop.? This transition has only allowed us to blossom as we now ship thousands of titles to book lovers across the globe. We pride ourselves in being a community of local book lovers which allows our passion and devotion to shine in everything we do. In 2020 we not only celebrated our 20th birthday but our 1st birthday as being completely employee owned after becoming an E.O.T in September 2019. We are proud to be different and embrace standing apart on a book mountain by working from a virtual inventory which allows us to provide thousands of books that may be difficult to get for your bookshelf or your studies. Working with a number of different suppliers allows us to explore other avenues such as puzzles, sheet music and even stationery so we really do have something for everyone. Life is about being versatile in all realms of existence. If this is your first visit or you are a returning customer, we would like to welcome you to the PBShop family, for there is no friend as loyal as a book. We are a company who put our customers at the centre of everything we do as we understand the importance of reading because once you learn to read, you will forever be free. There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours that we are yet to explore, which is why we will forever inspire curious minds.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Pbshop.co.uk Ltd
Unit 22 Horcott Industrial Estate, Horcott Road, Fairford, GL7 4BX, United Kingdom

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Returns Policy
We ask all customers to contact us for authorisation should they wish to return their order. Orders returned without authorisation may not be credited.
If you wish to return, please contact us within 14 days of receiving your order to obtain authorisation.

Returns requested beyond this time will not be authorised.

Our team will provide full instructions on how to return your order and once received our returns department will process your refund.
Please note the cost to return any...

More Information

Shipping Terms

Books are shipped from UK warehouse. Delivery thereafter is between 4 and 14 business days dependant upon your location - please do contact us with any queries you may have.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	7 to 14 business days	7 to 14 business days
First item	US$ 0.00	US$ 0.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.