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Ustad Alla Rakha (1919-2000) - Once in a great while, there emerges a musician who, through his genius, injects that certain spark necessary to elevate an instrument to another level of expression and appreciation. For tabla, Ustad Alla Rakha was such an artist, having brought his instrument a stature and respect never before enjoyed. A disciple of Mian Kader Baksh, the great guru of the Punjab gharana, Ustad Alla Rakha was, in his lifetime, the most celebrated exponent of this style. Ustad Alla Rakha continues to be a brilliant and transforming force in not only the genre of Classical Indian music, but in the music world at large. www.momentrecords.com
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Zakir Hussain is today appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large as an international phenomenon. A classical tabla virtuoso of the highest order, his consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure in his own country, India, but gained him worldwide fame. The favorite accompanist for many of India's greatest classical musicians and dancers, from Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar to Birju Maharaj and Shivkumar Sharma, he has not let his genius rest there. His playing is marked by uncanny intuition and masterful improvisational dexterity, founded in formidable knowledge and study. www.momentrecords.com
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Anindo Chatterjee is recognized as one of India's most eminent tabla players. He was inspired to take up tabla by his uncle, the sitar player Pandit Biswanath Chatterjee, when he was just four years old. At five he was All India Radio's youngest artiste. At six Anindo became a disciple of Padmabhushan Gyan Prakash Ghosh, and studied with him for over twenty years. His guidance gave Anindo's art a firm foundation. As an accompanist, he is known for his sense of balance and proportion, crisp tonal quality, modulation of sound production and rapport with soloists. Anindo has accompanied all of the top musicians (Notably, sitarist Pandit Nikil Banerjee) and has toured with them all over the world. He has received numerous honors including Presidents Award in 1970 and the House of Commons in 1990. www.anindochatterjee.com
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Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri is a phenomenon in the arena of Indian Classical Music. Musicians honor him as one of the most highly respected Tabla players, worthy of highest regard all over the world. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy Award from the Government of India, and the American Academy of Artists Award, both of which are reserved only for those artists who have attained the highest level of artistry. He has received the Excellence in Performing Arts Award from the Global Indian Congress in San Francisco, and has been nominated to the esteemed International Percussive Arts Society's Hall of Fame. It was Swapan’s beloved parents, through their own passion for music, who initiated his formal musical training and inspired him in the field of Tabla, paving the path that would eventually lead him to virtuosity. www.swapanchaudhuri.com
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Ram Kishan was born 1938 in Pushkar, Rajasthan and was a disciple of Shri Laluji in the traditional music of the region. Deeply inspired by the sounds of the Nagada played in the Brahma temple at Pushkar, Ram took to playing the instrument at a very young age. He has achieved a high degree of excellence playing in Khayal performances all over Rajasthan, and also as an accompanist to many of India’s most famous musicians. In 1976, he received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to the folk music of Rajasthan. Ram Kishan sadly passed away April 26th 2008. The evening of Zakir Hussain & The Masters of Percussion’s, New York City sold out performance at City Hall, Ram Kishan played his final brilliant solo and upon his final stroke, the audience went wild, the lights went to dark and the great Ram Kishan passed on from this world. His great light will always shine through the rhythm of time.
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Dr. Michael Lewis is a senior disciple of the legendary Ustad Zakir Hussain. Michael has been taught the art of accompaniment by Pandit Nikil Banerjee in Calcutta, and spent intensive periods of study with Gyan Prakash Ghosh, Anindo Chaterjee and of course the great Ustad Alla Rakha. Michael is a member of Zakir Hussain's “Rhythm Experience” and performs with many of the world's great artists. Since 1992, Ty has learned from Micheal and has been inspired by Michael's beautifully melodic tabla playing.
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Tim Witter began his tabla training with Ustad Alla Rakha in 1980. He has studied since 1985 with Pandit Swapan Chauduri, the resident tabla teacher at the Ali Akbar College of Music. He has made numerous trips to India for study and performance, and in 1994-1995 completed a research/performance grant awarded to him by the American Institute of Indian Studies. Tim has taught at the Ali Akbar College of Music in Basel, Switzerland and has performed throughout Europe. Currently he is a staff teacher at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California as well as being an active performer and composer in Bay Area Indian classical and contemporary music scenes. In addition to studying tabla, Tim has lived in Madras, India and studied South Indian drumming from T.H. Subash Chandran. Tim was a co-recipient of the 1997 Isadora Duncan Award for Best Original Music for a New Dance Piece for his work in creating the score for "Sacred Text." www.ancient-future.com/tablarasa.html
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Suphala Patankar is a tabla player, a producer, and an artist that surpasses the obvious through her unique and visionary musical style. A clever and sophisticated transition between Indian classical and high-tech modern sound, Suphala's music is truly universal. Suphala's talent has been embraced by several prominent artists in American and European music and has led to collaborations with Perry Ferrell, Vernon Reid, Michael Bland, Lady Ms. Kier, 4Hero, DJ Logic, and Norah Jones. Suphala trains as a classical tabla player under the great masters Ustad Allarakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain. www.suphala.com
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Benjy Wertheimer is a founding member of the internationally acclaimed Ancient Future world fusion music ensemble. An award-winning musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist (playing tabla, congas, percussion, esraj, guitar, and keyboards), Benjy has toured the US, Canada, Europe, Central America and Japan, and has opened for such artists as Carlos Santana, Paul Winter, and Narada Michael Walden. He now tours and records regularly with such artists as Krishna Das and Deva Premal. He has studied Indian classical music for over 25 years with some of the greatest masters of that tradition (including Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain, Ali Akbar Khan and Z. M. Dagar). He has recorded with numerous A&M, Windham Hill, Narada, Nippon Phonogram, and Rounder recording artists. Benjy was also a contributing composer and member of the Zakir Hussain Rhythm Experience (along with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead). www.benjymusic.com
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Steve Smith has a history in the music industry that is vast and traverses many different styles. With the rock band Journey, Smith toured around the world and recorded many successful albums. Smith began leading his own fusion band Vital Information in 1983. His explosive solos and intricate timekeeping served to gain him much acclaim from sources such as Modern Drummer Magazine, whose readers voted him the #1 All-Around Drummer five years in a row. His much collaboration include artists such as Ahmad Jamal, Jeff Berlin, Michael Manring, Stanley Clarke, Randy Brecker, Zakir Hussain and the Buddy Rich Big Band, with whom he has performed in many tribute concerts to the late drumming idol. In 2001 Modern Drummer Magazine named Steve as one of the Top 25 Drummer of All Time, in 2002 he was voted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame and finally in 2003 his Hudson Music DVD "Steve Smith Drum set Technique - History of the U.S. Beat" was voted #1 Educational DVD of 2003. www.vitalinformation.com/steve
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Shaun Burhoe (Ty's son) born in 1986, is a very talented musician and telemark skier. He began learning tabla and voice at age 4 with his father and has had several lessons with both Zakir Hussain and Anindo Chatterjee. In Shaun's second season of learning to Telemark ski, he not only won the Junior National Championships but won the Junior division of the World Cup. He is now training with the US Telemark Ski Team up in Montana.
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Geoffrey Gordon is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, recording artist, teacher, and world music producer. Geoffrey has practiced yoga and devotional singing known as kirtan since 1971 and leads kirtan today at yoga centers and retreats. Geoffrey has recorded and performed extensively over three decades with musicians from many traditions, from Robbie Robertson and Rita Coolidge, to Broadway performances of M. Butterfly with John Lithgow and Juan Darien with Julie Taymor, Jai Uttal, Ram Dass and Krishna Das. Geoffrey has also studied North Indian Classical Music and Tabla with Zakir Hussain, Ustad Allarakha, and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. www.geoffreygordon.com
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Pete Lockett is one of the most versatile and prolific percussionists in the World. His percussive skills range from North and South India to Japanese taiko drumming, Arabic hand drumming and drum set; from blues, funk and rock to classical, folk and ethnic. Having worked in virtually every field of music conceivable both live and in the studio he has recorded and/or toured with Björk, Peter Gabriel, Zakir Hussain, Nitin Sawhney, Bill Bruford, Texas, The Verve, Viku Vinayakram, Selva Ganesh, Mel C, Steve Smith, Craig Armstrong, Afro Celt Sound System, Bedlam, Beth Orton, Kulu Shaker and Vanessa-Mae amongst others. He also has many film credits, playing on the three most recent Bond movies, as well as the City of Angels, Moulin Rouge, The Insider, Plunkett and Maclean, and the Guy Ritchie movie Snatch. Pete has released four solo albums which have received international acclaim. His web site is one of the most thorough free percussion resources on the net. www.petelockett.com
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Dave Lewis is a young and talented drummer who has emerged on the music scene as a performer, recording artist, composer and educator. He has performed and recorded with the bands Mason, the Dave Lewis quartet, the Marco Godoy quintet, Natural Tendency, First Circle, Clockwinder, Oaktown Jazz, Hollow Moon, the Berkley Yellowjackets Ensemble, and is currently a fourth year student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. This second generation drummer grew up listening to North Indian percussion, and from the age of twelve, studied jazz, fusion, funk, rock and pop. Dave’s teachers include Walfredo Reyes Sr., Rod Morgenstein, Mike Mangini, John Ramsay, Kenwood Dennard, Dave DiCenso, Ralph Peterson, and his father, Michael Lewis (tabla player with Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience.) Dave is an extremely versatile drummer with a very uplifting presence. He is highly recommended for freelance, studio and film work. davelewismusic.com
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Giovanni Hidalgo - An artist some describe as "touched by the hand of God," conguero Giovanni Hidalgo plays a major role in shaping the way the world thinks of hand drumming. Truly, he has become a living legend. Giovanni feels himself to be "a man of all music," having performed with musicians ranging from Zakir Hussain to Airto Moreira. He has toured with jazz great Art Blakey and continues to tour with Mickey Hart's Planet Drum. For several years he was a member of the Dizzy Gillespie United Nations Jazz Orchestra, Eddie Palmieri, Changuito, Jack Bruce, Dave Valentin, Paquito D'Rivera, Cameo, Paul Simon, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenger.
"I am in synchronization with life, with people, with nature.I try to be a part of all the things people do in the world so my music can give them strength, love, and faith. My gift to others is my love of music, and I will give it until I die." www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Giovanni_Hidalgo.html
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Airto Moreira has deeply influenced not only world music but also the evolution of jazz for the last half centur. His vast list of collaborations & recordings include; Miles Davis, Joe Zawignul, Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland, Jack De Johnette, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Keith Jarrett, Miroslav Vitous, Alphonse Mouzon, Joe Farrell and Stanley, Mickey Hart, Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, George Duke and Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Babatunde Olatunji, The Crusaders, Chicago, and many others. His contributions to movie sound tracks include The Exorcist, Last Tango in Paris, King of the Gypsies and Apocalypse Now. Since 1965 he and his wife, Flora Purim (incredible jazz & improvisational vocalist) have been advancing the cause of world and percussion music. www.airto.com
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Glen Kniebeiss is a Tabla player and a teacher in Melbourne Australia. Glen has studied Delhi gharana tabla with Ustad Anthony Dass. He has also trained with Sri Pankaj Kumar, Sri UmaKanta Dash, and Sri Akhilesh Gundecha. Glen has a degree in improvisation from the Victorian College of the Arts. He has undertaken several tabla study tours to India. His recent trip was funded by the Australia Council for the Arts and Ian Potter Cultural Trust. Glen has performed live radio broadcasts for ABC Radio National, 3PBS, 3RRR, 3MBS, and 3CR. His music is featured on many CD recordings, and several television documentaries: 'Beyond the backyard' (ABC TV 2006), 'Islam Explained' (2004) and 'Hazaribag' (2002). Glen is currently teaching and performing tabla with Chris Sprague, Ria Soemardjo, Afghani sitar virtuoso Ustad Khalil Gudaz, sarodist Sabyasachi Bhattacharya. www.melbournemusic.info
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Shen Flindell tarted learning tabla in Melbourne from Sri Debapriya Bhattacharya in 1994 and soon went to the Holy city of Varanasi in India to study under Pt. Kaviraj Ashutosh Bhattacharya, a great tabla master of the Benares Gharana. He has performed and recorded widely as a tabla accompanist and soloist in Australia, Japan and India, not just Indian classical music but also collaborations with an eclectic range of world & western music artists. Shen's EthnoSuperLounge events bring together these musicians to share their songs and sounds in the spirit of unity, healing and transcendence. Shen's tabla playing is noted for his clear sound, comfortable rhythmic sense, intuitive accompaniment, sensuous bayan (bass) and a feeling of sincere devotion to Guru, Saraswati, Music and Tabla, thanks to many blessings from his Guru-ji. He also teaches, supplies and repairs tabla. www.ethnosuperlounge.com/shen/index.html
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Bhavani Shankar is one of India’s leading pakhawaj players. He has toured extensively with Zakir Hussain and with leading maestros of Indian classical music. A versatile percussionist, he is brilliant on a host of other drums, including the dholak. From a family of kathaks, he is versed in the ancient slokas (poetical compositions) and rhythmic compositions of these storytellers. Bhavani is one of the most “in demand” traditional drummers in India today. He is truly a legend in his own right.
www.cdbaby.com/cd/bhavanishankar/from/poetrychaikhana
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Selva Ganesh is a young percussion maestro widely considered as the foremost Kanjira player of his generation. The son of the legendary T. H. Vinayakram, India's foremost Ghatam exponent, Selva is a child prodigy who has received widespread recognition for his virtuosity with this instrument. His career began in 1986 at the age of 14 years. He has been accompanying all the greats of Carnatic music such as Lalgudi Jayaraman, Mandolin U. Srinivas, M. S. Subbalakshmi etc. For the past 3 years, he has been touring worldwide with Zakir Hussain as part of "Remember Shakti", one of the foremost cross-cultural collaborations of our time. This year, "Remember Shakti" is nominated for a Grammy in the Best World Music category. www.geocities.com/v_selvaganesh/html/frameset.htm
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Taufiq Qureshi an ace percussionist of India is also an acclaimed composer. Being the son and disciple of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Allarakha, Taufiq’s performances showcase the traditional flavor and intricacies of Indian rhythm and the sparkle of contemporary world percussion. Taufiq’s trademark style incorporates body and vocal percussion to create unique rhythmic motifs spanning across cultures. His sense of tone and his command over a wide variety of percussion instruments and styles is phenomenal. His albums have been released internationally and he has performed at prestigious music festivals all over the globe. Taufiq has been greatly influenced by his illustrious brother Zakir Hussain and is privileged to receive guidance from Ghatam Vidhwan Pandit “Vikku” Vinayakram. While the realm of studio music keeps him constantly engaged creatively, Taufiq is continuously evolving as a percussionist in the ever-inspiring world of live performance. www.taufiqqureshi.com
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Fazal Qureshi began his training early under the keen eye of his father and guru, Ustad Allarakha. With encouragement and inspiration from his elder brother Zakir Hussain, Fazal has developed a style distinguished by a fine sense of rhythm, versatility and eloquence. He has performed both as a soloist and as an accompanist in prestigious "Sangeet Sammelans" in India as well as major festivals abroad. The remarkable ease, with which Fazal accompanies veteran as well as young Indian classical instrumentalists, vocalists and dancers of both North and South, as well as Western instrumentalists, speaks of the discipline and dedication with which this young, talented artist has pursued music.
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U-zhaan (Hironori Yuzawa) is considered to be one of Japan's foremost tabla players. He is a disciple of the legendary tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. He has also studied seriously with the world renowned maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain. U-zhaan's many projects and collaborations, span the wide array of genre in Japan. From the traditional music of Japan and Classical music of India, to modern fusion and contemporary music, his tasteful and inspiring musicianship shines through, touching everyone who comes to listen. www.pure.ne.jp/~fueya/uzhaan
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Jim Santi Owen has been working teaching and performing in the Bay Area for since 1991. He performs and records with Ancient Future, Trance Mission, Tock, Pharaoh Sanders, Mobius Operandi, and the Ali Akbar College Tabla Ensemble. Jim studied tabla (a North Indian pair of drums with goat-skin heads) with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. From his South Indian drumming teachers T.H. Subash Chandran and K.Shekar, he learned thavil (a rare two-headed barrel drum played with a stick in one hand and finger caps on the other), morsing (a mouth harp), ghatam (a clay pot played with the fingers), and kanjira (a small frame drum with a lizard-skin head). www.ancient-future.com/jimowen.html
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Jeffrey Rodgers has been playing the tabla since 1974. His long years of devotion to practice and perfection show in his precision, passion and tone - every note crystal clear. He studied under Surendrenath Jena. In 1981 he was fortunate to become the student of the late great tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha, and continued to study with his son, Ustad Zakir Hussein, in California and Bombay, India. He has performed with many Indian Music Artists throughout the U.S.A and Canada, and gives private lessons, lecture/demos, and workshops in schools and Universities throughout the Midwest. yogitar.com/jeffrey.html
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Mickey Hart is best known for his nearly three decades as an integral part of an extraordinary expedition into the soul and spirit of music, disguised as the rock and roll band the Grateful Dead. As half of the percussion tandem known as the Rhythm Devils, Mickey and Bill Kreutzmann transcended the conventions of rock drumming. Their extended polyrhythmic excursions were highlights of Grateful Dead shows, introducing the band's audience to an ever-growing arsenal of percussion instruments from around the world. Exposure to these exotic sounds fueled Mickey's desire to learn about the various cultures that produced them. www.mickeyhart.net
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