tabla and voice: Rahis Bharti and Teepu Khandholak Barkat
harmonium and voice: Gulam Ali
castanets: Arif Khan
voice: Mohammed Bundu
fakir: Prem Nath
sapera dancer: Lata

It is in the wild and magnificent Thar desert in the north-western Indian province of Rajhastan – the land which inspired the Maharajas to build their sumptuous palaces reminiscent of a thousand and one nights – that the Dhoad family ancestry is rooted. The original land of gypsies, numerous troubadours and wandering musicians who went from town to town entertaining princes and their courtiers.
It is a land of ancient music and spiritual tradition, the birthplace of a wealth of cultural traditions and know-how which have been passed down through the ages, from generation to generation, by poets, musicians, dancers and fakirs. The heritage they have bequeathed is spiritual, artistic and musical, and has inspired a way of life in which love, happiness, suffering and death are all expressed through song.

Dhoad brings together several talented musicians, all Rajasthani, but from different communities, religions (muslim and hindu), and different artistic castes; they comprise the sapera-kalbelya (‘fakirs’, dancers, and snake charmers), the langas (poets), the manganyar (troubadours) and musicians.
Together, these artists create an atmosphere of magical enchantment, an extravaganza of sound expressed through a whirlwind of glittering, shimmering colours and dance…