Music and Dances from Central Nepal: The Works of Subi Shah (Volume 1) Edited by Anna Marie Stirr, Mason Brown, Hikmat Khadka, and Lochan Rijal

In Music and Dances from Central Nepal (Open Book Publishers, 2026), performer, educator, and writer Subi Shah presents an essential commentary and analysis of Himalayan folk music and performance. Having documented this musical tradition since the 1960s, Shah has created in-depth analyses of song, dance, music, poetry, and drama within their local and spiritual contexts.

This book is the first English translation of Shah’s works. This collection includes three published works—Madal, “Pangdure (Maruni) Folk Dances”, and Glimpses of Nepali Folk Songs—and three unpublished manuscripts— Introduction to Nepali Tunes, Sorati, and Basic Theory of Folk Dance. The book stays true to Shah’s voice and style, equipping the reader with the translated text, and tools such as audio and video examples, musical scores, and glossaries, which enrich our understanding of Himalayan performance.

Music and Dances from Central Nepal is freely available to read and download in both PDF and HTML formats.