Dapha music

Dapha music (Nepal Bhasa: दाफा) is a Newa artform in which singers and musicians perform devotional music, based on classical raga and taal system. The music is performed by a group of musicians called Dapha khalah in places called dabu. Dapha is the oldest surviving devotional music of Nepal, with its origin in the 17th century. The dapha music saw a growth in the early 18th century with royal patronage. It expanded during that era to include sets of nine different drums that are standard today.