Indian music is a traditional art form that has for generations relied upon a system of teaching whereby there is a direct oral transmission from teacher to student, and where the teacher’s role encompasses not only the teaching of material, repertoire and techniques, but also often a form of spiritual guidance and mentorship.

I would like to sincerely acknowledge the teachers who have initiated me into the journey of Indian music and tabla, and who continue to guide and inspire me.

Shri Kulbhushan Bhargava

My first guru was Shri Kulbhushan Bhargava of Kobe, Japan (originally from Delhi and Simla) who was my very first teacher of tabla and developed my foundational knowledge and abilities. He is a wonderful musician and tabla player who for many years was a senior instructor at the Gandharva Mahavidhyalay music academy, and was a student of the highly-regarded Pandit Prem Vallabh. Kulbhushanji resides in Kobe, Japan where he teaches and performs. He identifies primarily with the Delhi and Ajrada gharanas (styles or lineages) of tabla playing and also has significant influence from the Farrukabad style. I had the opportunity to learn from Kulbhushanji from 2001 – 2004 as well as on a subsequent visit to India in 2007. Kulbhushanji is also a classically trained vocalist. His website: https://bhushan.jp.

Between 2014 – 2020, I was extremely fortunate to study under Pt Abhijit Banerjee of the Farrukabad Gharana, from Kolkata, India. He is one of the top notch performers and teachers of Tabla in India today and divides his time between India and the USA where he runs the Dhwani Academy of Indian Percussion. He was a student of the highly revered Pt Jnan Prakash Ghosh. His website: https://banerjeeabhijit.com.

Pandit Abhijit Banerjee

From 2020 to 2022 I studied with Mayookh Bhaumik, also of Kolkata, a formidable tabla player and multi-faceted musician who, in addition to being a tabla player, also composes electronic music and is an award winning music director. However he is first and foremost a classically trained tabla player, having studied under Ustad Sabir Khan as well as Ustad Zakir Hussain. I was fortunate to gain further insights and compositions in both Farrukabad and Punjab styles under Mayookh. Mayookh is currently based in New York City. Further information about Mayookh can be found via his Instagram page.

Mayookh Bhaumik