Fun clips
Jori pakawaj
A jori pakhawaj is basically a pakhawaj split into two. (A pakhawaj is a north Indian classical barrel drum—precursor to the tabla—now used mostly in Druphad music.) In terms of technique, repertoire, and sound the jori falls somewhere between a traditional pakhawaj and a tabla. In these video clips the musicians are playing a slow compositional form that traditionally appears at the opening of solo pakawaj performances, in a twelve beat rhythmic cycle used in Druphad called Chautal. In fact, it starts out so slow (the beats are so far apart) that it seems almost random, but there is a structure to what is going on. As the piece develops, one player will start a composition, and the other will quickly pick it up and join in, often in a playful syncopated way. The larger drum of the jori pair, like the larger head of a pakhawaj, does not use a permanent iron paste to bring the head into tune. Instead, a doughy mix of flour and water (a chapatti!) is used to add weight to the head, and because it quickly dries out it has to be continually adjusted throughout the performance. As the piece progresses you will see the chapatti flying off the head of the larger drum on the right.
