Des Raj & Jaswinder Raj
Musicians

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Des Raj and his son Jaswinder come from a long lineage of musicians and artists. Des Raj's father, the late Ustad Garib Daas, was a key artist in the development of the Dhol tradition and Punjabi folk music and dance in India. Today, Des Raj and Jaswinder reside in Surrey, BC, where they are carrying on Garib Daas's legacy as a folk musician.

Des Raj started playing the Dhol in 1986. While living in Punjab, he played Dhol with Bhangra teams at DAV College, Khalsa College, and Punjab University. During the hot summer months, he would travel around the world and accompany Punjab's most popular singers on their tours. Des Raj first visited Canada in 1996, and since moving to Surrey permanently in 2010, he has taught Dhol to hundreds of students at BC Cultural Bhangra Academy.

Jaswinder recently moved to Surrey in 2019. He picked up his first instrument at a very young age, and was fortunate to have the best instructors he could ask for – his father and grandfather. Jaswinder and Des Raj are both trained primarily in the folk style of playing, but Jaswinder has also learned some classical forms as well. He also plays a variety of other instruments such as the Dholak, Tabla, and Bugchu to name a few.