Royal Welsh guards marching band
The Welsh Guards Band was formed in 1915, the
same year as the regiment. Unlike other Guards Bands such as that of the
Grenadier Guards, the band consisted of 45 people, including a Warrant
Officer at the time of its inception, with the instruments having been
bought by funds provided by the City of Cardiff.
Because the Welsh Guards Band was formed hundreds of years after
military music for ceremonial purpose first arose, high standards had already
been set by other Guardsensembles. They first publicly performed proving their
worth on March 1, 1916, when they Mounted the King's Guard.
Dhol Indian
Dhol (Drum): can refer to any one of a number of similar types of double-headed drum widely used, with regional variations,
throughout the Indian
subcontinent. Its range of distribution in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan primarily includes northern areas such
as the Punjab,Haryana, Delhi, Kashmir, Sindh, Assam Valley, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Konkan and Goa, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Uttar
Pradesh. The range stretches westward as far as eastern Afghanistan. The Punjabi dhol
is perhaps best known abroad due to its prominent place in the rhythm of
popular Punjabi bhangra
music.
Regional forms and traditions
The Punjab region
The Punjabi dhol is used in the Punjab
region of Pakistan and northern India. In Pakistan, the dhol is
predominantly played in the Panjab region; however, it is also used throughout
the country ranging from as south as Karachi and as north as Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa. In India it is found in the states of Punjab, Himachal
Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi. The beats of dhol have been an element
in the ceremonies of the great Sufi mystics and their followers. The patterns
of dhol have been developed to catalyze the mind of the devotee who is seeking
spiritual trance. Traditionally the Punjabi dhol has been the domain of mein
Assam
A man playing Assamese
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 mid-April every year (usually on 14 or 13 April
according to Assamese traditional calendar).
Assamese people consider dhol to
be a devo badyo (Assamese:
দেৱ বাদ্য) or instrument of god that was brought to Earth by
the Pandavas.
Goa.
Dhol (which is always accompanied by tasha, cymbals, etc.) is an
important part of Goan shigmo celebrations.
It also is an important part of Goan temple music; the temple dhol was
traditionally played by a specific caste.
Gujarat
The dhol was used by Gujaratis during
celebrations such as Navaratri to accompany garba. Garba are the folk songs
which describe the grace of the divine mother. It is one of the important
musical instruments in Goa.
Maharashtra
In Maharashtra, dhol is a primary
instrument used in Ganesh festivals. In the city of Pune, locals come
together to form dhol pathaks (troupes). Pune supposedly has the largest number
dhols in India. In the city of Nagpur, there are many troupes, play
dhol in festivals and other occasions. Here dhol is referred to as 'Sandhal'.
Dhol is made up of two stretched membranes tied by strong string. One side of
dhol is played by wooden stick called "tiparu", on that side black
coloured ink paste stick in the centre. This membrane is called the
"dhum". In technical language it is called base. Another side of dhol
is called "thapi" or "chati". In technical language it is
called as tremer, this side of membrane is only played by palm. Boll of the
dhol is "Dhin" and "Taa". "Dhin" for the
"Dhum" side and "Taa" for the "Thapi" side.
Karnataka
Called dhollu in Kannada, it is accompanies a folk dance form
known as Dollu Kunitha and is performed by the people of the Kuruba caste
of Karnataka.
Pashtun areas
The dhol is the main musical instrument
in the Pashtun (or "Pathan") dance known as attan. The Afghan and Iranian Dhol is
not the same drum on the Indian subcontinent.
Caucasus
Caucasian dhol is called dhol in Armenia,
dholi or doli in Georgia and Abkhazia, and doul in North
Caucasus.
In global culture
It
has become popular in other parts of the world due to South Asian diaspora.
Dhol has been a popular musical instrument in formal and informal dance
performances for decades.