Tumdak'
Encyclopedia
The tumdak' is a hand-struck double-headed membranophone of the Santal people of India
. The Santal typically use the Tumdak' in combination with the Tamah' for religious ceremonies and Santal festivals. Both drums are almost universally played by men rather than women. The body of the drum is cylindrical and made from clay. The two heads of the drum are usually cowhide, the right one being slightly smaller than the left. Like many similar Indian drums, each head has a round patch of tuning paste
in the center which enhances the sound. When played for dancing, the Tumdah' player suspends the drum around his neck with a cord or leather strap. The Tumdah' falls within the larger category of double-headed hand-struck Indian drums, which have various names: Dholak
, Nal
, Mridangam. The player strikes the Tumdak' with full hand and fingers as required by the musical pattern. The rhythm of the Tamak' and Tumdak' set the basic metric/rhythmic pattern for Santal dances and are essential for traditional Santal music
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The Santal typically use the Tumdak' in combination with the Tamah' for religious ceremonies and Santal festivals. Both drums are almost universally played by men rather than women. The body of the drum is cylindrical and made from clay. The two heads of the drum are usually cowhide, the right one being slightly smaller than the left. Like many similar Indian drums, each head has a round patch of tuning paste
Syahi
Syahi is the tuning paste applied to the head of many South Asian percussion instruments like the dholki, tabla, mridangam, and pakhavaj.-Overview:...
in the center which enhances the sound. When played for dancing, the Tumdah' player suspends the drum around his neck with a cord or leather strap. The Tumdah' falls within the larger category of double-headed hand-struck Indian drums, which have various names: Dholak
Dholak
The Dholak is a North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese double-headed hand-drum Madal. The name dholki may also refer to a slightly different instrument that uses high-pitch tabla style syahi masala on its treble skin. This instrument is also known as Naal or Dholki....
, Nal
NAL
Nal may refer to:* Nál, or Laufey a goddess in Norse mythology* Nal Airport, Airport in Rajasthan, India* Nal, Balochistan, a town in Balochistan, Pakistan* Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat, India...
, Mridangam. The player strikes the Tumdak' with full hand and fingers as required by the musical pattern. The rhythm of the Tamak' and Tumdak' set the basic metric/rhythmic pattern for Santal dances and are essential for traditional Santal music
Santal music
The Santal people love music and dance. Like other Indian people groups, their culture has been influenced by mainstream Indian culture and by Western culture, but traditional music and dance still remain. Santal music differs from Hindustani classical music in significant ways. Onkar Prasad has...
.