Drums & Roses
The Dhol Foundation

Release Date: 17 March 08

The Dhol Foundation is back with a third album titled 'Drums & Roses' featuring an array of vocalists, instruments and sounds. Johnny Kalsi, the founder of The Dhol Foundation has written and produced the entire album which showcases his many musical talents. This resulting in ‘Drums & Roses’ being The Dhol Foundations most intense piece of work to date. Johnny affirms, “This album has been a release of lots of manifested emotions and feelings I have cooped up. A real weight off my shoulders and a well deserved trophy at the end of it all.”

Drums & Roses is a journey that enables the listener to travel through many different countries, emotions and talents. The first track, an emotive song ‘When You Loved Me’ talks about yearning and loss through the sensitive Hindi vocals of Sabiha Khan. Another exciting collaboration is with Kulwant S Bhambrah on the track ‘Johnnys Drum’, an old school installment which highlights the more traditional sounds of the Dhol. ‘Gra Gan Chrioch’ (which translates in Gaelic to ‘love with no end’), an astounding piece of music is infectious and poignant with a fast and exciting intro.

Other collaborations on this album include the sultry vocals of Tina Chillaghova on ‘You Turned’, Gunjan Singh on ‘Nach Mundeya’ and many more talented vocalists from all over the globe. Musically, an entire family of instruments were used to create Drums & Roses including Bamboo Flutes, Whistles, a Fiddle, Guitars, Tumbi, Strings Section, Cittern, Bouzouki, Tabla, a piano and as expected, these coupled together with the Dhol create beautiful and dynamic music, “This album features various genres of tracks transpiring into a wall of soundscapes that make the journey of listening to the album more interesting. Recorded all over the world, I can honestly say that the collaborations and singers I have on this album are like a breath of fresh air” asserts Johnny.

www.dholfoundation.com / www.myspace.com/thedholfoundation

‘Drums & Roses’ is released on 17 March 2008 via TDF Records.

“Johnny Kalsi is one of those rare creatures – a world music icon. When people think of African music, they think of Baaba Maal, when they think of Arabic music, they think of Rachid Taha and in 2008 after years of hard work when people think of the Dhol, they think of Johnny Kalsi. Johnny’s albums always manage to connect street level listeners with an arty farty world music crowd and make you feel the world is barrier free.”
Bobby Friction – BBC Radio 1 & BBC Asian Network