Tassa Drumming from India to the Caribbean and Beyond

Tassa drumming is an Indo-Trinidadian art form of extraordinary originality and richness, combining technical virtuosity and innovative dynamism over a solid base of traditional repertoire and style. With more than one hundred semiprofessional groups performing on the island, tassa is heard at competitions and various other functions, and it is indispensable at Hindu weddings and the Muslim Hosay (Muharram) commemoration. This chapter discusses tassa drumming in its relation to North Indian counterparts and with regard to its present forms, styles, and social contexts. Formal analyses are presented both as timely documentation of this impressive and understudied art form and in order to advance arguments about its evolution and the nature of its incorporation of creole elements.