5 Indian tabla players who are famous across the world

Tabla has always been an important part of classical Hindustani music. Tabla is to classical music what drums are to Western, but maybe better. And the hype around it is justified for some of the best classical music maestros are Tabla players who mesmerise and enchant the audience with their skills. The oldest Table gharana is of Dilli and was started by Sidhar Khan Dhadi and since then, India has had many tabla maestros who have given the instrument its rightful place. Here we list down some of them:

Ustad Zakir Hussain is one of the most famous and legendary tabla maestros of India. He inherited his musical legacy from his father, the renowned Ustad Alla Rakha. Zakir Hussain can rightfully be called a child prodigy for he performed at his first show at the age of 7. Throughout his career, Hussain has collaborated with many famous personalities in both India and abroad. His talent has also fetched him many great awards such as India's Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, and many more.

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Anindo Chatterjee is a tabla player of the Farukhabad Gharana and is famous for his impeccable precision, rhythms, and presentation. He received tutelage from the revered Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh and presently serves as the director of the Farukhabad gharana, originally established by Haji Vilayat Khan Saheb. Chatterjee's dedication to the art of tabla playing has brought new expressions and skills to tabla music. He has also collaborated with artists worldwide.
Chatterjee has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and has also performed in the Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2010.

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A part of the Lucknow Gharana, Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri is a brilliant tabla artist and has many feathers on his cap. He began his training at the age of 5 under Guru Pandit Santosh Krishna Biswas of Lucknow Gharana and holds degrees in Music and Economics from Jadavpur University.
Pt. Chaudhuri has performed with accompanied legends like Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar. He is also the recipient of the Padmashree and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and is also the Director of Percussion at Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California, and in Basel, Switzerland.

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Pt. Kumar Bose is one of the most famous tabla players of the Banaras gharana. He is dynamic and creative, and his solo performances are a sight to behold. A stalwart of the Benares Gharana, he is celebrated for his dynamic performances and innovative rhythmic explorations, enriching the tabla repertoire with his creativity.
At just 4 years old, Bose had his first public performance and at 14, he started performing in different countries. He's played at many famous places including the Royal Albert Hall, and Barbican Centre in London. He has been awarded with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

(Image: Hindustani Classical Music And Everything/Facebook)

Another maestro from the Banaras Gharana was Pt. Kishan Maharaj. Seeing him play is a clear evidence of his talent and his gracefulness. People say that Pt. Kishan Maharaj was an expert in rhythms or ‘Laya’.
Kishan Maharaj started playing at 11 and after a short while, he got the chance to perform alongside great musicians like Faiyaz Khan, Omkarnath Thakur, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, and the like. He has received awards like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Padma Vibhushan.

(Image: Pandit Kishan Maharaj/Facebook)