Big Drum: Small World

Dhol Foundation | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 31, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: SHAKTI
• ASIN: B00005MJZO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #148,193 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Technofied, groove-intensive Asian crossover sounds for the '00s, Big Drum: Small World showcases the dynamic Dhol Foundation weaving its Punjabi drum magic within a cavalcade of beats, keyboards, flutes, vocals, and strings both acoustic and synthetic. The group is lead by Johnny Kalsi, who is currently a principal drummer in Afro Celt Sound System, and who has also played with Transglobal Underground, Asian Dub Foundation, and Talvin Singh. This CD by no means attempts to be a purist effort, or, conversely, to jump on a bandwagon of sampling Indian instruments and then regurgitating them in digital dance form. The results are somewhere in the middle, with the group's live playing interacting with programmed elements. As electro-organic bhangra-style dance, this music can be intense. Some repetitive sections scream out for greater motion, while others are balanced nicely between the organic and the electronic. A couple of tracks even offer gritty bursts of electric guitar. On the whole, the recorded output by Dhol Foundation is pretty good, although their live performances are probably more smoking. The album includes notable guest appearances by like-minded world crossover artists: British-based Egyptian singer Natacha Atlas appears on "Shin the Mechanic" and "Tere Bina," while "Iridian" sounds like uncredited samples of Afro Celt Sound System. --Bryan Reesman

Product Description

Big Drum: Small World by Dhol Foundation

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Hail the Drum Master, April 3, 2003

By 

DJ ProFusion - WorldFusionRadio.com "DJ ProFu... (Evanston, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Drum: Small World (Audio CD)

Bottom Line: A solid solo debut from a consumate musician. An excellent introduction to bhangra fusion music and the dohl drum.

Johnny Kalsi is one of the giants of the Asian Underground scene in London. His impressive resume includes stints with Alaap, Transglobal Underground, and Afro Celt Sound System. Kalsi is in great demand because he is the master of the dhol, a two-headed wooden drum from north India. The dhol produces a distinctive sound that lends readily to intricate fast-paced rhythms. Kalsi teaches the dhol and other drums at a studio in London and many of his pupils now play with him.

Kalsi is now the front man for the band Dhol Foundation (also the name of his school) and in early 2001 released a single with Natacha Atlas. "Shin the Mechanic" was a big hit world wide and left fans of world fusion eagerly awaiting Dhol Foundation's full-length release. Big Drum : Small World was worth the wait.

The first song, "Eik Din" opens with a bird singing; appropriate for the organic nature of this music. A human singer joins the bird and is in turned joined by a bell, cello and frame drum. The pastoral feel bursts into electronics and dhol, with the beat kicking in at an outrageous 180 bpm. Despite the pace, the melody and rhythm are controlled and uplifting, not frenzied.

"Iridian" sounds very much like an Afro Celt Sound System song, light and happy with the distinctive flute melody and violin solos while Kalsi's dhol sets a bhangra rhythm. The song takes an abrupt detour to a jazz piano solo (not my thing but others would enjoy) for a few seconds then returns to the main melody.

"Healing With Tumeric" turns up the energy with a bhangra dance number. It features sitar and flute-sounding keyboards, electronic atmospherics, and multiple dhol players. The dhols set the tone here, when they are playing, the track is hard driving dance, when they aren't, the track is atmospheric, almost ambient. That may sound weird but the interludes and changes work very well.

Next, Near Eastern chanteuse Natacha Atlas graces us with "Shin the Mechanic." The song is classic Natacha with Kalsi ably accompanying on dhol. By classic Natacha I mean a catchy song with a pop feel, beautiful singing, and foot-tapping rhythm.

The down-tempo "Poseidon" is perfect lounge music featuring light keyboards and superbly understated table and dhol. Turning to Indian classical music, "Seven Heaven" features santoor and hammered dulcimer in a very pleasantly relaxing tune.

The DCS in "TDF Meets DCS" is Shin DCS (You guessed it, he's also the Shin in Shin the Mechanic). Shin sings on this song which has an urban groove with gang vocals, electric guitar and mass drumming. He has a great voice, articulation, and range. I searched all of the liner notes, press releases and the band's Web site but couldn't find any info on who Shin is or where else we might find his work. That's a shame.

Natacha Atlas and Shin DCS return for the sweeping ballad "Tere Bina." A beautiful romantic duet in the Indian tradition, it shows off the vocal talents of both, accompanied by strings, keyboards, tabla and dhol. Very nice song.

The title track and "Drummer's Reel" are bhangra drum jams that will satisfy the primal cravings of any drum fanatic. "Big Drum Small World" is what American drum-and-bass should sound like. "Drummer's Reel" features a massive array of 42 drummers (all students of Kalsi) providing the beat for an Irish reel. In between "Big Drum Small World" and "Drummer's Reel" lies "Colours of Punjab," a light-heartedly melody with intricate percussion. Pleasant and pastoral.

Fans of drums should definitely get Big Drum Small World, as should fans of Indian music.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Transcendental Beat of a Drum...., July 11, 2003

By 

Manbir Chowdhary (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Big Drum: Small World (Audio CD)

No matter where on earth you come from, this instrument (the dhol) will make you want to move every inch of your body. The people of the northern Indian state of Punjab have long enjoyed its mesmerizing and entrancing rhythms. Now, thanks to the hard work of Johnny Kalsi and The Dhol Foundation, more people across the globe have a chance to experience the extremely powerful effect of this instrument. The dhol drum forms the backbone of Bhangra music and is one of the key reasons for the genre's success on the dance floors of the UK, Canada and the US. This album celebrates the instrument by staying true to its vibrant and robust energy but also demonstrates its versatility, by incorporating transient and "New Age" sounds.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Well Rounded Debut, August 28, 2001

By 

"baap" (St. Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Big Drum: Small World (Audio CD)

Although Dhol Foundation has been around for years and and John Kalsi has worked with several names in the Asian and UK scene, this is their first full-length album. The CD is pretty good. Although if one is expecting the CD to be full of tracks like the one the worked with Fundamental on the Star Rise (remixes of Nusrat) then they would be disappointed. The tracks include a mix of stuff from projects they have worked on including an Afro Celt type track called "Iridian". A Punjabi Bhangra flavored track called "TDF meets DCS" and then the dhol beat tracks that are just plain danceable. Natacha Atlas provides guest vocals and "Shin the Mechanic" is also included on this CD. It is in my view a very good CD that has something for everyone expecailly those that like the dhol sound, coz it's present in every track.