Saving the Art of Drumming

Posted by Rachna Online on December 13, 2010

To advance its mission of sustainable development of the Himalayas, RACHNA has initiated a project to empower the drummers and the art of drumming in Uttarakhand state of India by developing economically successful and socially respected professional groups of drummers.

Traditional drummer community in Uttarakhand has been socially oppressed and economically among the poorest of the poor. The duel drum locally called ‘Dhol’ and ‘Damau’, however, has been part of everyday rituals and special occasions such as marriages, but, due to the reasons written below this occupation and art is dying a slow death making the traditional drummer families unemployed and poorer:

1. The tradition of drumming was part of a rural agro-pastoral economy which is changing rapidly. The drummers are being paid in kind (crops) and small cash. In today’s cash economy, this payment is not enough for the drummers to even survive. Hence, the drummers are not willing to motivate their new generation to pursue the occupation and skills of drumming.
2. The art of drumming is attached with the caste system of India. The Drummers are considered outcast /lower castes. Hence, the drummers’ families want to change their profession or want to change the way their profession/skill is being treated by the society.
3. Despite demand for the drumming services in the urban areas of the state and metropolitan cities like Delhi and Mumbai, where large number of migrated families from Uttarakhand lives, the drummers are not able to sell their services because they are not organized and lack the exposure/network in the urban areas.

RACHNA has helped establishing a professional group of drummers by providing trainings and exposure to enhance their drumming skills, learn about new opportunities in the rural and urban markets, and discover how to earn respect for the profession of drumming in the traditional society. The group is economically successful and has been an inspiration for several others. The current project is designed to take this idea to scale. The successful group will be the mentor and marketing conduit for the new groups. RACHNA will be establishing 10 successful groups of drummers in the Garhwal region in next 2 years.