Arishma – The Youngest Female Dhol Player in Pakistan

The beat of a drum enraptures one like no other music instrument does. Dhol is the most common music instrument in Punjab which adds verve to luddi, bhangra, folk performances and many other dance forms.

One can find many men practicing the art and entertaining people in this neck of the woods but rarely does one see a woman displaying her skills as a drum-beater.

In order to fill the vacuum, Arishma Maryam, has embraced the drum-beating profession and already created ripples in the music scene. She plays dhol at public gatherings, weddings and cultural programmes arranged by arts  councils, especially the Lahore Arts Council.

Arishma is known as youngest dhol player of Pakistan, She was born on 10 January 1997 in Lahore Pakistan. She did O-Levels from Lahore Grammar School. She has also faced criticism, and discouragements in te start of her career as dhol beater from her friends and relatives but instead of giving up, she always expressed dedication to achieve her goals with enthusiasm.

Mainly her mother is supporting her and encouraging her in this field. She is also a singer but now she has opted the dhol playing as her passion and profession.

Arishma Maryam has not only made out a name in drum-beating but she also plays some other instruments such as violin and conga drum. Besides being a classy dhol player, she is also a collector of snakes, a biker and what she calls a fashion freak. She has recently come up with a fashion company.

She runs her production house at Johar town Lahore with the name “Fashion Cruise and interns” to organise musical programs, fashion shows. She has delivered a series of marvelous performances at National and International events and received a certificate of appreciation from the Government of Punjab Pakistan.

Her performance was remained acknowledged and appreciated even in the Countries including Canada, Malaysia, and the US, besides India and Pakistan. She has also portrayed
her performance and represented Pakistan in Beijing China during at a cultural event held in connection with Pak-China friendship celebrations.

Being cricket lover, she has also performed her Dhol beats in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018 in Dubai where she supported Multan Sultans and mesmerized the audience with her thrilling beats.

She got a chance to perform with international artists including Mika Singh (India) and Arif Lohar. Arishma Maryam can perform bhangra, dhamal, Sindhi and Pushto rhythms on dhol and can whirl for 30 seconds.

Arishma has proved that profession and passion are not dependent on gender as she has adopted a profession that people think is not for female.

She is pursuing Dhol Beating profession as her passion, crossing all the hurdles, and breaking all the stereotypes. She has proven herself as a distinguished example of women’s empowerment in a male-dominant society.