Conservation and Preservation of Traditional Folk Music in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Folk music traditions are appreciated across the world for their capacity to maintain and convey cultural identities while exhibiting the different manifestations of communities. This research aims to examine the folk music archiving, preservation, and conservation practices in Sri Lanka. The objective is to understand the practices related to the preservation and conservation of folk music. The methodology used in this study is a qualitative case study, and data were gathered using a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and observations. Snowball sampling was used as the sampling method, and the collected data were analyzed using content analysis. The study identified conservation practices employed by organizations and individual practitioners. Even though the country has many folk music items, none of the musical items are inscribed on the UNESCO Sri Lankan national list. It is evident from the results that no specific attention has been devoted to identifying endangered musical genres or preparing inventories. It was also identified that there is a lack of attention to digitizing techniques, which can preserve sound qualities in early recordings. In addition to the poor facilities in the respective centers in Sri Lanka, there is a tendency for recorded tapes to be damaged. These challenges necessitate the exploration of innovative approaches, community engagement, and policy support to ensure the continued conservation and promotion of folk music in Sri Lanka.