Madal
Encyclopedia
The Madal double-headed drum
of Nepalese origin (of the Membranophone
family), used mainly for rhythm-keeping in Nepalese folk music, is the most popular and widely used hand drum
in Nepal
.The Madal consists of a cylindrical body with a slight bulge at its center, closed on both ends (the sides are often referred to as "heads", one head is smaller than the other).
The madal has a strand that goes around the waist of the person playing it to hold it horizontally . Playing technique involves rhythmic struck one either ends(heads) with palm. The heads vibrate to produce sound when struck.
This typical Nepalese percussion instrument is the backbone of most of Nepali folk music. The well-known Nepali musician Ranjit Gazmer
introduced this instrument to Bollywood
music and has used it in many Bollywood songs such as 'Hum dono do premi duniya chhod chale', 'Kanchha re kanchhi re' and many others. There is also a madal drum from the ancient tribes of India.
Typically, a wooden log is carved so as to form a hollow cavity, called Ghar (घार). The two opposite openings are covered with cow leather. The cow leather on either head also consists of a black inner concentric circle. This layer is made up of a black substance known as Khari (खरी), which is the powdered mixture of Kansh (काँश) and Kit (किट). This black substance give the skin weight and cause the tone to reverberate like a low pitched bell.
The heads are not of the same size; the larger and the smaller heads are often refereed to as male and female respectively. The madal's other feature are the strands that overlay the central body. These strands, also made up of cow leather, are used to tune the instrument.
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
of Nepalese origin (of the Membranophone
Membranophone
A membranophone is any musical instrument which produces sound primarily by way of a vibrating stretched membrane. It is one of the four main divisions of instruments in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification....
family), used mainly for rhythm-keeping in Nepalese folk music, is the most popular and widely used hand drum
Hand drum
A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. The simplest type of hand drum is the frame drum, which consists of a shallow, cylindrical shell with a drumhead attached to one of the open ends.-Types:The...
in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
.The Madal consists of a cylindrical body with a slight bulge at its center, closed on both ends (the sides are often referred to as "heads", one head is smaller than the other).
The madal has a strand that goes around the waist of the person playing it to hold it horizontally . Playing technique involves rhythmic struck one either ends(heads) with palm. The heads vibrate to produce sound when struck.
This typical Nepalese percussion instrument is the backbone of most of Nepali folk music. The well-known Nepali musician Ranjit Gazmer
Ranjit Gazmer
-Early life:Ranjit Gazmer was a student of Amber Gurung at his Art Academy of Music in Darjeeling, India. His contemporaries were Karma Yonzon, Gopal Yonjan, Sharan Pradhan, Aruna Lama and Jitendra Bardewa, all of whom went on to be musicians. He was a part of a musical group called Sangam Club and...
introduced this instrument to Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
music and has used it in many Bollywood songs such as 'Hum dono do premi duniya chhod chale', 'Kanchha re kanchhi re' and many others. There is also a madal drum from the ancient tribes of India.
Nomenclature and Construction
The ancient name of Madal was Mardal (मर्दल in Nepali).Typically, a wooden log is carved so as to form a hollow cavity, called Ghar (घार). The two opposite openings are covered with cow leather. The cow leather on either head also consists of a black inner concentric circle. This layer is made up of a black substance known as Khari (खरी), which is the powdered mixture of Kansh (काँश) and Kit (किट). This black substance give the skin weight and cause the tone to reverberate like a low pitched bell.
The heads are not of the same size; the larger and the smaller heads are often refereed to as male and female respectively. The madal's other feature are the strands that overlay the central body. These strands, also made up of cow leather, are used to tune the instrument.
External links
- Photos of tribal madal
- http://www.ecs.com.np/living_category.php?category=13&id=295