UKPHA VIRTUAL BOOK CLUB

The “Master and Disciple” System in Punjab

Gibb Schreffler focuses on the dhol and its significance in Punjabi culture and questions whether the dholi community and its identity will survive?

Gibb Schreffler

Gibb Schreffler is Assistant Professor of Music at Pomona College (USA). His work engages both contemporary-ethnographic and historical-textual approaches to the study of culture, in subject areas including vernacular music and dance of South Asia’s Punjab region and the work-songs of 19th century American sailors. His forthcoming book, Dhol: Drummers, Identities, and Modern Punjab (University of Illinois Press), brings together two decades’ work following the lives of traditional Punjabi drummers across changing social landscapes.
Among the drummers (dholis) of Punjab, there is a tradition of committing oneself to a master, ustad, to ensure the standards. In recent years, Punjabi drummers have been pursuing new means of economic insurance, which contradict the authority of ustads. Gibb Schreffler will discuss how modern pressures challenge the formal relationship between ustad and student and asks whether the dholi community and its identity will survive?
Buy 'Dhol: Drummers, Identities, and Modern Punjab' here >>
You May also be interested in:

Davinder Toor

Having carefully curated the world's most important private collection of Sikh art, arms and armour Davinder Toor joins us to talk about his book 'In Pursuit of Empire' which takes the reader on a journey through his collection and the story of the Sikhs

Sathnam Sanghera

Award-winning journalist, author and presenter Sathnam Sanghera speaks with reporter-filmmaker Amandeep Kaur Bhangu about his latest book, Empireland.

Gurmeet Rai and Raghu Rai

A virtual book launch event of the exciting new book ' Amritsar - A City in Remembrance' - a love letter to Punjab's spiritual and cultural capital, a city that captivates and confounds.

Prof Kim Wagner

Prof Wagner speaks about his meticulously researched history of the 1919 massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar.

See All Events
HomeBookclubAbout UsPrivacy