Kolkata Professional Bengali Dhak

Description

The biggest drum, the dhak is one of the oldest instruments of Bengal and is made of a big wooden shell with two parchment heads tightened by leather straps, and is hung on the shoulder slantingly when played. The instrument is as old as the Sakta festivals. The loud playing, using two light and thin sticks on one side, has developed as a technical method that imitates all possible tals of quick tempo. When it is played, the accompanying strokes on a metal plate, known as Kartaal or Kansar, reinforces the tal with the equal effect of a metallic pitch. In the olden days, the master-dhak (dhak player) used to be sumptuously remunerated during the worship of Goddess Durga. This percussion instrument is hardly used with vocal music except in cases of dance-cum-vocal recital like Gajan of Malda and such other items.