Gibb Schreffler draws on two decades of research to investigate dhol's place among the cultural formations within Punjabi communities. Analyzing the identities of musicians, Schreffler illuminates concepts of musical performance, looks at how these concepts help create or articulate Punjabi social structure, and explores identity construction at the intersections of ethnicity, class, and nationality in Punjab and the diaspora. As he shows, understanding the identities of dhol players is an ethical necessity that acknowledges their place in Punjabi cultural history and helps to repair their representation.

An engaging and rich ethnography, Dhol reveals a beloved instrumental form and the musical and social practices of its overlooked performers.

List of Figures ix

List of Audiovisual Examples xi

Note on Translation and Transliteration xiii

Preface xv

Introduction: Drumming to the Beat of a Different March 1

1 The Short End of the Stick: Strategies of Identification 35

2 Dhol Manifested: Body, Sound, and Structure 59

3 Asking Rude Questions: Dholi Ethnicity 92

4 A Portrait of a Dholi and His Community 128

5 Becoming and Being a Dholi 148

6 Dhol Players in a New World 172

7 Return to Punjab, Turning Punjab 193

Notes 217

Bibliography 229

Index 241