Piu Mukherjee establishes a historical foundation for an in-depth understanding of the role of music in our everyday life. By surveying a multitude of Eastern Classical traditions, and drawing upon diverse sources from both Sanskrit and vernacular languages, she reveals a continuous template of interwoven rhythm, raga and music in Indian classical tradition, that she terms ” A Musical Moksha” a structure of highly strung music and experience that incorporates talent and tradition across many levels.
In developing the concept and methods for understanding the phenomenon of classical music, Piu draws from liturgical studies and rhythm-scape studies, broadening the dimensions of each and imbibes the same in her work in the fields of Indian Classical music. As she maps the evolution and emergence of classical music and allied forms in Indian culture, she shows how, parallel to the development of religious ritual from ancient times, to the present, there is a less understood progression of musical form, beginning with Vedic chants of two to three notes to complicated genres of devotional temple music employing ragas with up to a dozen notes. Her talent and attainment in its maturity can be marked as a complex interactive experience.
Contributing to the cultural tapestry of India, Piu Mukherjee today is a name to reckon with.