The Chaal is an 8 beat rhythm that consists of the following beats: DIN NANA NANA DA DIN NA


Chaal

DIN = striking both sides of the dhol at the same time

NANA represents when only the treble side is played continuously to create this sound.

NANA

Over 35 years, Oriental Arts have been pioneers in the field of South Asian arts and music promotion and programming and one of few organisations outside of London that continues to deliver this kind of work. 

The organisation was successful in securing a Heritage Lottery Fund for a project entitled Cultural Connections to uncover the history, cultural traditions and impact of South Asian music and dance of Bradford’s older generation of South Asian immigrants from the 1950s to the present day. The project will develop a new oral history archive through recording and raising awareness of South Asian arts and culture of Bradford. The project will also use Oriental Arts Bradford’s archive as a stimulus, dating 1976 to present, making it accessible to young and old people from different communities by engaging them in participatory workshops and activities, a touring exhibition, online resources and a documentary film.

The Dhol is a traditional North Indian Punjabi instrument made from a large wooden shell. It has two skins which are made from goat hide and plastic. Rope is then woven through the edge of both skins to produce a bass and a treble sound. The Dhol is held around the neck by means of a strap and played with two sticks, one thin bamboo stick called Tilli for the treble side and a larger wooden curved stick called Daga for the bass end.

Some of the most common Punjabi dhol rhythms are bhangra (originating with the old, community bhangra dance), dhamaal (associated with many cultural functions, including worship at Sufi shrines), and kaharva, a dance and song rhythm. The staged "bhangra" dance, originating in the 1950s, gave special prominence to kaharva, for the performance of actions called luddi. In the 1970s, many more actions were added to staged bhangra to go with the kaharva rhythm, which started to become one of the most prominent rhythms associated with the dance. 

CulturalConnections

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