Tabla in the 21st Century

Aneesh Pradhan

Aneesh Pradhan, one of India’s leading tabla players inherits his rich and varied repertoire of traditional tabla solo compositions from the Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Farrukhabad and Punjab gharanas from his illustrious tabla maestro Nikhil Ghosh. Greatly appreciated by both the cognoscenti and the lay listener as a soloist and accompanist, he is the recipient of several awards such as the Vasantotsav Award (2012) instituted in memory of the eminent vocalist Dr Vasantrao Deshpande, and the Saath Sangat Kalakar Award (2013) instituted in memory of G. L. Samant by the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Pune. He is a popular performer at prestigious concerts and festivals in India and abroad and has recorded prolifically for national and international record labels. He has also worked as a music designer and consultant for music and research for the award-winning Marathi film 'The Disciple' directed by Chaitanya Tamhane. He has a doctorate in History and has been a keen researcher of trends in music education and patronage. He is also the author of a children’s book on tabla, which is part of a forthcoming twelve book series entitled Baajaa Gaajaa: Musical Instruments of India. He has been awarded a medal by the Asiatic Society of Mumbai for his book entitled Hindustani Music in Colonial Bombay. His latest ebook is called Hindustani Music: Ways of Listening, a collection of articles that he had written over two years for Scroll.in, a digital publication. His latest book is entitled Chasing the Raag Dream: A Look into the World of Hindustani Music.

He is the Director of Underscore Records Pvt. Ltd, an independent online record label that he established with vocalist Shubha Mudgal, and co-curates an international music festival called 'Baajaa Gaajaa: Music from 21st Century India.' Based in Mumbai, India, he lives a life that affords him the chance to be in turns, performer, composer, student, teacher, researcher, and author.

Lakshmi Sreeram

Lakshmi Sreeram is an Associate Professor at Ahmedabad University teaching Core and elective courses including Khayal and Carnatic Vocal practice. She is a musician in the traditions of Carnatic and Hindustani (vocal) Music. She has trained under highly regarded masters of the two traditions and has performed widely to critical acclaim. She has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Mumbai. She is interested in the principles underlying the performance traditions of Hindustani and Carnatic music and their different expressions in the two traditions. She is also working on a theory of Epistemology of Raga using categories from theories of Sabdabodha and Alankarasastra.