422.22-5 Sets of reedpipes with single reeds with windcap

Pungi, double clarinet with gourd wind cap. The right-hand pipe with five fingerholes, the left-hand pipe has no fingerholes and functions as a drone.

This double clarinet with a windcap is played in many parts of the Indian subcontinent, and has a variety of different regional names. One of its north Indian names is 'pungi'. It is traditionally played by itinerant snake charmers, whose performances rely on an accumulated repertoire of music for the instrument. However, increasing concern for animal welfare now threatens this way of life, and much of the music for the instrument associated with snake charming is in danger of being forgotten.

Collection Information

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