Tabla: A Performer's Perspective

With its ability to play a significant role in traditional and new musical forms, the tabla has captured the imagination of both musicians and music lovers. Tabla player Aneesh Pradhan provides a general overview of the instrument and the performance practice associated with it.

The book focuses on the concept of Indian rhythm, particularly as manifested in North Indian art music, more popularly known as Hindustani music.  Indian rhythm and percussive instruments have attracted musicians and music-lovers across cultures and continents.  The author has focused his attention on discussing various aspects of the tabla, a twin-drum that has formed an integral part of Hindustani music, and has over the years been incorporated into just about every form of music.   While doing so, the author shares his perspective as a performer with the reader, providing information about current performance practice related to art music and to experiments outside the tradition. The illustrative bibliography, discography and the archival photographs, add to the value of this book.

A disciple of tabla maestro Nikhil Ghosh, Aneesh Pradhan is one of India’s leading tabla players. He has received several awards and is a popular performer at most prestigious concerts and festivals in the country and overseas. Aneesh Pradhan is a Research Fellow at the Department of Media, Music and Cultural Studies, Macquarie University, Australia. He regularly conducts lecture-demonstrations, workshops and participates in seminars, at various universities and other educational institutions in India and abroad. His teaching assignments in the past include short terms as artist-in-residence at the University of New England, Australia, and as guest lecturer at the Music Department, University of Mumbai. He has a doctoral degree in History from the University of Mumbai. A keen researcher of trends in performance, music education and patronage that unfolded in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, he writes frequently on music for newspapers, journals and other publications in India and abroad. He is also deeply involved in creating and developing educational material related to Indian music and is the author of a children’s book on tabla. He has also directed and produced a short film called Pratidhvani: Reverberations of the Nanasaheb Panse Pakhawaj Tradition. Aneesh is Founder-Director of Underscore Records Pvt. Ltd (http://www.UnderscoreRecords.com), an independent online record label that he established with vocalist Shubha Mudgal. Along with Shubha, Aneesh curates a festival called Baajaa Gaajaa: Music from 21st Century India (http://www.baajaagaajaa.com) which celebrates and showcases the diversity of music from India. Based in Mumbai, India, Aneesh Pradhan lives a life that affords him the chance to be in turns, performer, composer, student, teacher, researcher, and author. 4, Ganesh Bhavan, 11th Road, Khar, Mumbai-400 052 Tel: +91 22 26463386, +919820033793; Email: anepradh@gmail.com