The International society for traditional arts research (ISTAR) was founded in India (Delhi) and launched a number of projects that led to some very interesting articles published in 1984 and 85. The members of the society and their associated are now stalwarts in their respective fields: Bernard Bel, Joep Bor, the late James Arnold, Wim van der Meer and Jim Kippen. They collaborated closely with people who are by now legends: Prem Lata Sharma, Shahab Sarmadee, Nazir Jairazbhoy, Dilip Chandra Vedi and Fahimuddin Dagar, to name but a few.

ISTAR Newsletter No 1 (Jan-March 1984)

Peter Mueller: A Journey to Shrutiland

Louis Soret and Anello Capuano: Influences of Oriental Music on the West in the Middle Ages

James Arnold: Raga Rupa 1

James Kippen: Listen out for the Tabla!

Wim van der Meer:  Thats and Murcchanas 1

Bernard Bel: News from ISTAR’s workshop

Pt. Dilip Chandra Vedi: Essence of Music

ISTAR Newsletter No 2 (Apr-June 1984) OCR

Joep Bor: My Name is Gauhar Jan

Bernard Bel: Musical Acoustics: Beyond Levy’s ‘Intonation of Indian Music’ 1

Andréine Bel: East-West Dance Encounters: Did Isadora Duncan have the Answers?

Joep Bor: Raga Sketches

Itsuo Tsuda: Education of the Subconscious

Jim Kippen and Bernard Bel: Linguistic Study of Rhythm: Computer Models of Tabla Language

ISTAR Newsletter No 3-4 (July 1984 – June 1985)

Joep Bor: Memories of an Old Sarangi Player (Ustad Mohammad Jan)

Pt. Dilip Chandra Vedi: On Famous Women Singers and their Teachers

Srivatsa Goswami: The Svarupas of Radha and Krishna from Swami Shriramji Sharma’s Rasamandali

Shahab Sarmadee: Mankutuhal and Rag Darpan, Reflections of a Great Seventeenth Century Scholar-Musician

Onkar Prasad: Santal Music and Dance Terminology

Joep Bor, W.J. Arnold and Issaro Mott: Notating Hindustani Music, Giving Importance to Note Treatment

Nazir Jairazbhoy: Response to Musical Acoustics: Beyond Levy’s ‘Intonation of Indian Music’

W.J.Arnold, Joep Bor, Wim van der Meer: On Measuring Notes, A Response to N.A.Jairazbhoy

W.J.Arnold, Bernard Bel and Wim van der Meer: Stretching Scales

W.J.Arnold: Playing with Intonation