Today we’d like to introduce you to Jag, Jess and Malinder Tooray.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Rhythm was something you either had or didn’t have in our family. Music was apart of everyday life in the Tooray household. From our dad being a disc jockey back in his hometown of London, to our cousins known as RDB, rocking arenas across the world. Music was something we knew we wanted to be a part of. Our father’s side of the family was heavily involved in music and carried over into us three. Our dad would buy every type of Indian instrument you can think of. You would think we would have a full band by now, but to no surprise, all three of us wanted to play the Dhol. Malinder was the first of us to show interest and after a while, Jess began to show some interest. Over the next few years, they would start the journey of Dholnation, a name that was given by our late father.
After a few more years, Jag would come to join the party. As a team, we have been playing for ten plus years. Our cousins, RDB, gave us the opportunity to play alongside them, anytime they were in the United States and Canada. At times it felt surreal to be traveling and performing with family around the country. Born and raised in Los Angeles, we were exposed to a lot of different kind of cultures and music. From 90’s Hip Hop, R&B, House, Latin, and just the vibe of being in LA, we taught ourselves how to adapt the Dhol into any genre. In the past year or so, we have been trying to expand our talents. We are slowly getting into producing and Malinder has her own dj radio show on Dash Radio. Though our story started when we were young, we know we have a lot to look forward to and we are excited to share what we come up with.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Living in Los Angeles, our resources were limited. Our parents migrated from England, leaving family, friends and the culture they only knew behind. When our parents moved to the States, they were in search of finding their culture in America. When our parents settled in Los Angeles, there weren’t too many North Indians where we lived. When our dad’s side of the family would visit us from England, they would gather around sing and play all these instruments. Our cousins would teach us what they knew, however whenever we perfected the beat, we would have to wait until they visited us again to show us new techniques and beats. Over time, Jess and Malinder began to pick up beats on their own and creating their own technique. Most of what Jess and Malinder know now has been self-taught and later, taught to Jag. We were never traditionally taught and I think thats what separates us from the others. We had to create a style of playing from our own perception because thats the only thing we could do. In a way, not being taught the traditional way, it forced us to become different.
Please tell us about Dholnation.
We are a trio of siblings, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. We specialize in playing the Dhol (North Indian Drum), however we are beginning to produce our own music and deejaying. Being family and able to put on a show for the people is something we are proud of. Being able to spend time and travel with your family is what we love most about this job. Some of our biggest accomplishments have been performing at great venues in Los Angeles, from Staples Center, Hollywood Bowl, Kodak Theatre, LA Coliseum and many more.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
All of three of us use to pick out our favorite songs, and we used to set up our dj equipment in our living room to make music videos.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dholnation.com
- Phone: (213) 347-4113
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dholnation/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dholnation3/
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/dholnation
Image Credit:
Shivani Reddy
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