Modernizing Composition

“Garrett Field’s book takes an innovative approach toward studying modern Sinhala songs as literary works in their own right. His delightful translations and insightful analysis serve to make these little-studied works into a fascinating lens for viewing significant political and cultural changes in modern South Asia.” —Stephen C. Berkwitz, author of Buddhist Poetry and Colonialism: Alagiyavanna and the Portuguese in Sri Lanka
 
“Modernizing Composition uses nuanced readings of Sinhala song and poetry to rethink arguments on South Asian nationalism and modernity, which have until now largely focused on India and Pakistan. Garrett Field’s attention to poetics makes this book critical for understanding the larger literary culture of the region. His account of Sri Lankan modern song composers operating in relation to the dominant forces of Indian classical and film musics makes it a must-read for ethnomusicologists.”—Richard K. Wolf, author of The Voice in the Drum: Music, Language and Emotion in Islamicate South Asia

“Field masterfully demonstrates how the intertwined histories of Sinhala musical and poetic efforts developed in relation to the political dynamics of Sri Lanka in the early and mid-twentieth century.”—Amanda Weidman, author of Singing the Classical, Voicing the Modern: The Postcolonial Politics of Music in South India