Theatre Coronet amends its program starting with a journey into the heart of India from Friday 10/2/06 until Saturday 25/2/06 with the DHOAD, Gypsies of Rajasthan. It is in the wild and magnificent Thar Desert in the north-western Indian province of Rajhastan - the land which inspired the Maharajas to build their sumptuous palaces reminiscent of a “thousand and one nights” - that the Dhoad family ancestry is rooted.
It is the original land of gypsies, numerous troubadours and wandering musicians who went from town to town entertaining princes and their courtiers. It is also a land of ancient music and spiritual tradition, the birthplace of a wealth of cultural traditions and know-how which have been passed down through the ages, from generation to generation, by poets, musicians, dancers and fakirs. The heritage they have bequeathed is spiritual, artistic and musical, and has inspired a way of life in which love, happiness, suffering and death are all expressed through song…

The music of DHOAD is music of ecstasy, of majestic climaxes, punctuated by the gentle gestures of breathtaking tunes. An authentic and magical experience, DHOAD brings to life the passion and epic heroism of their forefathers, and their harmonies transform the monotony of everyday life with the enchanting sounds of the desert. Close your eyes, and let the hypnotic rhythm of this exceptional group of musicians evoke the spirit of these mystical lands.

DHOAD brings together several talented musicians, all Rajasthani, but from different communities, religions (muslim and hindu), and different artistic castes; they comprise the sapera-kalbelya (‘fakirs’, dancers, and snake charmers), the langas (poets), the manganyar(troubadours) and musicians.Together, these artists create an atmosphere of magical enchantment, an extravaganza of sound expressed through a whirlwind of glittering, shimmering colours and dance. Dhoad Gypsies of Rajasthan are a band of eight persons (six musicians one dancer and one fakir) who have successfully toured Europe : Olympic Games in Greece, Festival SFINKS in Belgium, Nuit Aytipique Langon in France , Festival Sizget in Hungary, Film Festival Locarno in Switzerland, Festival Actual in Spain, Festival Montoire in France, Ethno Tempo in Italy, etc.

Besides the artistic leader and gifted musician Rahis Bharti and his brother Amarat Hussain (a young virtuoso, 19 years old) on the ‘tabla’, there are five other musicians in the group: Kutle Khan singer, castanets, ‘bhapang’ and ‘morchiang’ (Jew harps) Gulam Ali, singer, portable harmonium ,Dashrath Singh, singer and Barkat Dolak (horizontal two-sided drums)
Anwar Hssain singer,Sahid Khan, singer and ‘sarangi’
The groups also includes Munshi, the masterful fakir and fire-eater, whose unbelievable feats includes dancing on the blades of swords, on a bed of nails and on broken glass!

And of course, Leela Kumari, who belongs to the most ancient gypsy traditions, and whose enchanting dancing evokes mythological themes, such as the sublime gyrations of the Royal Cobra, the guardian of spiritual truth in Indian mythology. Rahis Bharti boasts a well-established international reputation, and has captivated audiences world-wide. He has played with the likes of Mario Tranco of Avion Travel and part of the international orchestra Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio in Italy, Henri Agnel in Morocco, Santino Spinelli in Italy and Romania, Antonio Febrier in Spain, and Mustupha Gueye in Burkina Faso