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Journalism of Courage
THEIR sinewy arms strike the Kutchi dhols in unison, sometimes in succession, while DJ Nerm of the Shiva Sound System plays his dark music. The euphoric crowd breaks into a techno tandav at Mikanos, a Mumbai night club. 8216;8216;This is all we want8212;people going berserk on the dance floor,8217;8217; says 30-year-old Dhafrani Mohammed Hanif. Having accompanied the Dil Chahta Hai DCH Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio at the MTV AIDS Summit last year, they were recently chosen to perform with Swaraj, the UK-based Asian underground music group.
Younger brother Aslam8217;s dhol drive is no different. Both wear their Langa community heritage like a badge. 8216;8216;The community from Kutch has given the dhol a new life,8217;8217; they echo. The artistes belong to the third generation of dhol players, and reveal that grandfather Suleiman Yusuf, a music director by profession introduced the family to Hindi film music. Dhol Baaje from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and more recently Dola Re from Devdas catapulted the siblings into Bollywood8217;s hall of fame. And it8217;s a decade since 17-year-old Aslam first walked into a recording studio for Subhash Ghai8217;s Trimurti set to music by Laxmikant-Pyarelal. 8216;8216;Kudos to Laxmikant who extensively used the dhol in Hindi film music,8217;8217; says Hanif.
8216;8216;We love live performances compared to staying behind the screen and working in a film music unit,8217;8217; they reveal. Shyly revealing plans of launching their own band called 8216;DJ With Dhol8217; comprising eight dhol players and a DJ, they admit that they want universal recognition. As we speak, Hanif8217;s five-year-old son is thumping the dhol with his tiny fingers. And the band plays on8230;
