The Endangered Assortment

“Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music”. – Jimmy Hendrix

Continuing my crusade of “Gems of India", I take you all from Maharashtra to West Bengal.  A state with rich cultural, literary & folk heritage, West Bengal surely has a lot to make every Indian feel proud of this shining pearl from the entire necklace called India. 

Talking about West Bengal, it would be unfair if I don’t mention Guru Sri Rabindranath Tagoreji, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Bankim Chandra Chaterjee, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, Batukeshwar Dutt, Satyajit Ray, Pandit Ravishankar, SD Burman, Pancham daa, P.C Sorcar and many such highly regarded people.

This musically rich state also has multiple indigenous musical genres such as Baul, Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, Atulprasadi, Kantageeti, Adhunik Gaan, Bangla Rock etc.

During the week of Durga Puja, in the entire state of West Bengal as well as in large enclaves of Bengalis everywhere, life comes to a complete standstill. Elaborate structures called Pandaals are set up.

A staple allure in Durga pooja festival is a magnificent drum that men hang around their necks and play with two thin sticks to infuse the frenzied rhythm into listeners. It’s called the Dhaak. The traditional drummers who play this instrument are called the "Dhaakis". 

Dhaakis - Image courtesy - Mandar Sengupta

The tradition of Dhaak playing is passed on from generation to generation. Like most of the Indian music genres, dhaak playing doesn't have any documented notation or language. Its purely a listen and learn art form.

Making a Dhaak itself takes four months. A mango tree trunk is immersed in water for a month. Then it is hollowed from the inside and the shell is dipped in a vat of mustard oil mixed with garlic pods that’s placed on a fire for an hour.The log is left dipped in the oil until it’s black. After all this is done, the leather is stretched across and tied up. A fully made Dhaak weighs about 14 Kgs. 

Durga pooja is the prime time for Dhaakis to earn some money. They are otherwise landless farmers who play the Dhaak in their villages when they have time to spare. Unfortunately, this tradition is on the verge of extinction primarily due to preference of pre-recorded CDs. While music shops do brisk business in selling pre-recorded CDs and cassettes for anything between Rs. 23 and 40, Dhaakis find it hard to earn Rs. 150 to Rs. 200 per day

Gokul Chandra Das
Image courtesy - Tehekla.com

Gokul Chandra Das, a Dhaaki who played at the Hollywood Bowl says that “I realised that people treated me very differently when I sang Baul gaana. I’d get paid better, be fed well and have a nice place to stay in. But when I played the Dhaak, they didn’t treat me with the respect due to a skilled musician. That’s because people think Dhaakis are lowly. Nobody thinks of requesting us to play as they would any other musician. Instead, they demand that we play and think nothing of insulting us. As a result, I became so heartsick that I stopped playing the dhak for four years and concentrated on singing instead,” says Das. It was also difficult to support a family on a dhaki’s earnings, which range between Rs 2,000 to 7,000 during the puja season.

The Dhaakis when travelling outstation are routinely harassed by the police primarily due to their large Dhaaks.The return journey is even more hazardous because they have money in their pockets.

All I can do sitting here is write about this wonderful art form and the skilled musicians who execute it impeccably. I wish and pray to the almighty to give this art form its due recognition and respect both in India and around the world. 

The first video is of a Durga Pooja festival where Dhaakis showcase their skills. 

Here are 2 videos of Dhaaki Gokul Chandra Das. The first one is a footage of his performance at the Hollywood Bowl.

The second one is a jam session with drummer Ryan Shah.

My Salute to the Dhaakis and their talent, may their race grow and progress by leaps and bounds.