Dhol damau

Last updated March 14, 2023

Dhol damau or dhol damaun is the term used to collectively refer to two folk instruments of Uttarakhand and lower Himachal Pradesh, the dhol and damau, which are almost always played together on special occasions; though they may be played separately.^[1] The two instruments play a vital role in the lives of villagers, who often live in remote valleys of the region, and every important event is accompanied by their playing, which is considered auspicious.^[2]^[3] They are played according to the ancient oral treatise of Dhol Sagar that lists specific rhythmic patterns for every occasion, from celebrating birth and christening to religious ceremonies, folk dramas like Pandav Lila , and death rituals.^[4] Traditionally, they have been played by specific caste groups like auji, bajgi, das or dholi .

Notes

↑ Andrew Alter: Controlling Time in Epic Performances: An Examination of Mahābhārata Performance in the Central Himalayas and Indonesia. Ethnomusicology Forum, Vol. 20, No. 1 ( 20th Celebratory Edition ) April 2011, pp. 57-78
↑ Asian Music, Volume 29. Society for Asian Music, 1998 Quote: "They provide auspicious music at ritual occasions...Auji caste members are the primary musicians who play the most commonly found pair of drums called the dhol-damau."
↑ Alter, Andrew (2014). Mountainous Sound Spaces: Listening to History and Music in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9789384463069.
↑ Alter, Andrew (2003). "Dhol Sagar: Aspects of Drum Knowledge amongst Musicians in Garhwal, North India". European Bulletin of Himalayan Research. 24: 63–76.

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[1] Andrew Alter: Controlling Time in Epic Performances: An Examination of Mahābhārata Performance in the Central Himalayas and Indonesia. Ethnomusicology Forum, Vol. 20, No. 1 ( 20th Celebratory Edition ) April 2011, pp. 57-78

[2] Asian Music, Volume 29. Society for Asian Music, 1998 Quote: "They provide auspicious music at ritual occasions...Auji caste members are the primary musicians who play the most commonly found pair of drums called the dhol-damau."

[3] Alter, Andrew (2014). Mountainous Sound Spaces: Listening to History and Music in the Uttarakhand Himalayas. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9789384463069.

[4] Alter, Andrew (2003). "Dhol Sagar: Aspects of Drum Knowledge amongst Musicians in Garhwal, North India". European Bulletin of Himalayan Research. 24: 63–76.

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