During a lull in activities with
the Grateful Dead, percussionist and ethnomusicologist
Mickey Hart joined with tabla player,
Zakir Hussain, son of longtime
Ravi Shankar accompanist,
Alla Rakha, and students of the
Ali Akbar College of Music to form the heavily percussive
Diga Rhythm Band in 1975. Recording their sole album, Diga, in
Hart's barn/studio in Novato, California, the 11-piece group was augmented by
Jerry Garcia on guitar and
Jim McPherson, Kathy McDonald and
David Freiberg on vocals. One tune on the album, "Happiness Is Drumming (Fire on the Mountain) went on to be a staple at concerts by
the Grateful Dead, the Other Ones and
Hart's Planet Drum.
Formed as the
Tal Vadya Rhythm Band in 1973, the group was renamed the
Diga Rhythm Band following
Hart's arrival two years later.
Hart severed his connection with the group after returning his focus to a re-energized
Grateful Dead in 1976. He has continued to collaborate with
Hussain, a charter member of Planet Drum. Other
Diga Rhythm Band members who have remained active include tabla player
Tor Dietrichson, who signed a solo contract with Global Pacific, and marimba player
Jim Loveless, vibes player Ray Spiegel and duggi tarang and nal player Arshad Syed, who joined multi-ethnic fusion group,
Ancient Future in 1993.
Originally released on
the Grateful Dead's own label, Round records, Diga was released on CD in 1983 as part of a series of
Hart-produced recordings issued by Rykodisc. ~ Craig Harris