Meet Sheena Boll — A Famous Punjabi Dhol Player in The UK

A revolutionizing pioneer in the skillful art of dholi playing, Sheena Boll, the contemporary ‘punjaban kudi’ has taken the world by storm, breaking all clichéd stereotypes to bring together people through the vibrant beats of her zestful music.

The Dhol

Dhol is a popular double-headed drum, extensively used in Indian traditional events as a source of fun and entertainment. You would have often noticed a group of enthusiastic dholi players, brightly decked up in traditional wear, losing themselves to the jovial bubbly beats of the dholak as people around me relive the ambiance of cheerfulness, fun, and entertainment by dancing vivaciously to the beats.

Stemming from the same musical passion, is our very own Sheena Boll, a jubilant Punjabi-British performer with an accredited record of accomplishments in the musical field of dholi playing.

The UK-based performer known widely for her intricate talent of making people groove the beats of her drum- Sheena Boll has uprooted the orthodox belief of basing your talent on your gender. Instead of adorning herself in traditional kurtas, tehmat, and a bright turban, Sheena has decided to bring her own fusion of contemporary beauty to the whole realm of dholi playing.

However, a true definition of ‘beauty with brains’ requires more than just passion-following, a notion that Sheena Boll strictly abides by. When she’s not swooning the crowd with her flamboyance and effervescent music, you would probably find her in her science class surrounded by her beloved students.

Being a special needs science teacher alongside her career of unmatched dholi playing- Sheena Boll has managed to conquer the best of her two contrasting worlds.

Who’s Sheena Boll?

A passion nurtured from the tender years of her growth, Sheena Boll, the UK-based Punjaban dholi, has always found solace in the ardent beats of her drum, an emotion that lead her to vigorously pursue the musical field of dholi playing. Being born in a Punjabi family, Sheena has grown up cherishing their traditional values and vehement love for upbeat music, and with the loving support of her family, she ventured into the path of music.

Growing up, Sheena devoted a significant span of her time practicing and perfecting her passion as her heart would beat to the beat of the drum, encouraging her to walk the extra mile and stand out in the wave of male dholi players. However, education has always played a crucial part in her life, as she simultaneously juggled the pressure of studies alongside her flaming passion.

Nevertheless, it was not until she moved to the UK, did she turn her passion into a career. In 1970, parents Ajit Singh Boll and Gurbachan Kaur Boll started from Balachaur in Nawanshahr and finally decided to set foot in the UK accompanied by a young Sheena and even though the migration to a diversely new culture was quite prominent, the meticulous love for ‘desi, traditional Punjabi’ culture stayed deep-rooted within Sheena.

Along with her dholi playing skills, Sheena has been articulately managing her educational aspects too as she emerged with 12 GCSE grades and then moved on to study A level Chemistry, Biology, and Business Studies at Seven Kings High School in London.

Making the most of the UK aura paired in with her traditional style and unconditional family support, Sheena soon started making heads turn, participating in cultural events, gatherings, close-knit festivals and more, until she finally hit International with her infamous drumming to the popular Bollywood song ‘Mundeya to bachke rahi’.

Meanwhile, Sheena’s first graduation in 2003 got her a 2:1 in pharmaceutical chemistry at Queen Mary’s University of London, and her second graduation at Worcester Cathedral in 2010 followed after she successfully completed GTP in all three sciences up to A level.

Securing the outstanding achievement at the House of Commons in 2011 for being the highest achieving science graduate, Sheena further went on to get a diploma in child and adolescent counseling, and finally, her grand accomplishments landed her as a vital member of The Royal Society of Chemistry. Currently, Sheena Boll, the ‘multi-talented punjaban’ works as a special needs science teacher and a dholi playing maestro with an intense name initial that goes something like:

‘SHEENA BOLL BSc (Hons) GTP MRSC D.I.P’

Sheena Boll Accomplishments

Sheena Boll recognized her passion for upbeat music at a tender age and thanks to her family’s constant support and love, her passion was soon acknowledged as she learned how to swoon the crowd to the beat of a vibrant Dhol. As she accustomed herself with the musical beats, turning her passion into perfection started with practice and essential baby steps to get her comfortable in the grind.

Sheena soon started participating in community events like Annual Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan, and other cultural gatherings that opened up a new path of opportunity for her to showcase her talent in the most natural setting. One such stellar performance of Sheena Boll was during an event at the Millenium Dome.

After her family migrated to the UK, Sheena decided to parallelly juggle her interests and passion as she simultaneously coped with educational strains, never once giving up on her love for music. It all started with an international hit by Sheena Boll where she vivaciously matched beats with one of the infamous Bollywood songs- Mundeya to bachke rahi, a video that garnered an approx 2 million views along with above 60,000 shares.

All this happened within a year, and by the end of two years, Sheena has churned her passion into a career, playing dhol professionally. This power move gained her over 30,000 fans almost overnight as the number continued to soar along with her popularity as one of the few ‘pioneering women of today’.

Today, Sheena has a wide follower base with her accounts prominently showcasing her talent in all major social media platforms. Currently, Sheena has an active Twitter account and a booming Instagram page with an approx. 66.2k followers. From Twitterattis going crazy over the beats to Instagram fans flooding her Youtube page- Sheena has been extremely grateful for the uproar and prompt response to her skill show and has reached out promising quality performance across the world.

If you have a celebratory event in mind, the Desi Punjaban Dholi from London UK will be there matching shoulder to shoulder with your celebration, bringing forth an ambiance of cheer and bubbliness.

Originally published at a2znewstoday.co.uk on March 22, 2019.