Dhol Players From Kudos

Kudos can source some of the UK’s finest Dhol players to add a musical accompaniment to the bharaat, the bride and groom’s entrance or to do a set during the party and liven up the dance floor. Dhol players are becoming more and more popular for Indian weddings and are a very cost effective solution.

What is a Dhol?

Description

The dhol is a double-sided barrel drum (straight barrels also exist) played mostly as an accompanying instrument in regional music forms. In Qawwali music, the term dhol is used to describe a similar, but smaller drum used with the smaller tabla, as a replacement for the left hand tabla drum. The typical sizes of the drum vary slightly from region to region. In Punjab, the dhol remains large and bulky to produce the preferred loud bass. In other regions, dhols can be found in varying shapes and sizes and made with different woods and materials (fiberglass, Steel, Plastic). The drum consists of a wooden barrel with animal hide or synthetic skin stretched over its open ends, covering them completely. These skins can be stretched or loosened with a tightening mechanism made up of either interwoven ropes, or nuts and bolts. Tightening or loosening the skins subtly alters the pitch of the drum sound. The stretched skin on one of the ends is thicker and produces a deep, low frequency (higher bass) sound and the other thinner one produces a higher frequency sound. Dhols with synthetic, or plastic, treble skins are very common.

Dhol Playing

The drum is played using two wooden sticks, usually made out of bamboo and cane wood. The most common rhythm played on the dhol is the Chaal, which consists of 8 beats per measure. The stick used to play the bass side of the drum is a bit thicker (roughly about 10 mm in diameter) and is bent in a quarter-circular arc on the end that strikes the drum, the dagga. The other stick is much thinner and flexible and used to play the higher note end of the drum, the thili. The drum is slung over the neck of the player with a strap usually made up of ropes or woven cloth. The surface of the wooden barrel is in some cases decorated with engraved or painted patterns.

Importance

From North India, the Dhol spread to other parts of the Indian subcontinent as well. Apart from Punjabi music, it is also used in music of regions like Assam (Bihu dance), Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal (including Bangladesh), Goa (during the Shigmo/Holi festival), South India etc. It has also become popular in other parts of the world due to South Asian diaspora. Dhol was a popular musical instrument in both formal and informal dance performances for decades. The introduction of electronic devices such as tape recorders has led to a decline in the importance of dhol players in celebratory events. Nevertheless, dhol music still figures in the studio recordings of present day Raas/Garba and Bhangra music artists. A related instrument is the dholak or dholki.

In Maharashtra, Dhol is a primary instrument used in Ganesh Festivals. In the city of Pune students, working professionals, businessmen come together to form Dhol Pathaks or troups. Pune supposedly has the largest number dhols in India.

When doing Attan, the cultural Pathan/Pashtun dance, Dhol is the main musical instrument. Attan is done in accordance to the sound of the Dhol.

In Assam, Dhol is widely used in Rongali Bihu (Bohag Bihu), the most beloved festival of the Assamese people. Rongali Bihu is celebrated in the mid of April every year.

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