The madal ( ne, मादल) or maadal is a Nepalese folk musical instrument. The madal is used mainly for rhythm-keeping in Nepalese folk music. It is very popular and widely used as a

hand drum A hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. Types The following descriptions allude to traditional versions of the drums. Modern synthetic versions are ...

in Nepal. The madal has a cylindrical body with a slight bulge at its center and heads at both ends, one head larger than the other. It is usually played horizontally in a seated position, with both heads played simultaneously. The madal is the national instrument of Nepal and is the backbone of most Nepali folk music. The well-known Nepali musician

Ranjit Gazmer Ranjit Gazmer is an Indian film music director and a musician, who is noted for his work in Nepali-language films. He had a long association with music director R.D. Burman as a musician. Early life Ranjit Gazmer is from a gold merchant fa ...

introduced this instrument to Bollywood music when he started working under

Rahul Dev Burman Rahul Dev Burman (27 June 1939 – 4 January 1994) was an Indian music director who is considered one of the most influential composers of India. From the 1960s to the 1990s, Burman composed musical scores for 331 films. Burman did major work w ...

, and has used it in numerous Bollywood songs such as '' Hum Dono Do Premi'' and '' Kanchi Re Kanchi Re''. There is also a madal drum used by certain Adivasi groups.

History and nomenclature

The madal originated in the Magar community of Nepal. The name of the madal is said to come from that of an earlier instrument, the ''mardal'' (), whose name in turn is derived from the ''mridung'', a classical Indian instrument. In the Palpa district of Nepal, it is known as ''rāni mādal'' (). In the Nepalbhasa (Newar) language in the Kathmandu Valley, it's called the ''maga khĩ'' () in reference to the Magar people.

Construction

Typically, a wooden log is carved so as to form a hollow cavity, called ''ghar'' (). The heads of the drum are made of double-layered goat skins, and a black paste made of flour, iron filings, and egg is burned in to a circular area in the center of each head. This circle adds weight to the head and significantly alters the sound of the drum, giving it a bell-like quality. The heads are fixed to the body of the drum by leather strips running the length of the body, and an additional loose strip of leather which can be looped behind the performer's knees while playing The larger and smaller heads are often referred to as male and female respectively.

Similarities

Similar instruments called ''modal'' or ''mondal'' are found throughout the

Central India Central India is a loosely defined geographical region of India. There is no clear official definition and various ones may be used. One common definition consists of the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, which are included in alm ...

and Bangladesh.

References

Notes

* Anmol, Amrita Priyamvada (2009). ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Musical Instruments'', vols. 1 to 3 :, xxxvi, 720 p, 3 vols, figs, * L.S. Rajagopalan, L.S. in A. Purushothaman and A. Harindranath (eds) (2010). ''Temple Musical Instruments of Kerala''. Sangeet Natak Akademi, xvi, 168 p,

External links