Skin and Sound: Caring for and Crafting Bovine Hide in South India

Abstract

abstract: This article explores the little-studied technological practice of instrument making in South India, where the introduction of bovine hide brought new musical possibilities to a community of musicians. It narrates the animal-human relationship embedded in the everyday technology of making and maintaining sound instruments between 1930 and 2010 and how various actors sought to reduce the sound of bovine instruments. Based on fieldwork and historical sources, this article contributes to the discussion of nonlinear chronology in the history of technology, showing how technological processes are centered around local time, seasons, and animal-human (professional) life cycle rather than global standardized time. This micro-history describes how makers combined animals and technology to achieve better sounding instruments.