Sitar Music in Calcutta: An Ethnomusicological Study

James Sadler Hamilton has a broad background in both Western and Asian music and is regarded as an authority in the field of ethnomusicology. He completed his B.A. degree (History and Philosophy of Religion) at Concordia University in Montreal (1976) and obtained his M.A. (Instrumental Music) from Rabindra Bharati University (1976-79). It was during this period that Dr. Hamilton received his initiation into sitar music from the renowned musician and musicologist Radhika Mohan Maitra. His study of the presentation of classical music on the sitar culminated in his being awarded the degree of Ph.D. Social Anthropology (Ethnomusicology) from Queens University of Belfast, Ireland (1986). Dr. Hamilton is presently continuing research under the guidance of the noted sitarist Ms. Kalyani Roy. He is also visiting scholar at University of British Columbia.