LI Cuture Post

Tabla Ecstasy: Strength in Unity

Posted May 4, 2010 by Ted Hesson

On April 17, Tabla Ecstasy, an Indian drumming group, performed at Atmananda Yoga Sequence in Manhattan. Here are some reflections on the group and the show by Sejal Kukadia, a faculty member at the Taalim School of Indian Music, an institute of classical tabla in New York and New Jersey.


Tabla Ecstasy.  The name says it all.  Because that’s what one feels when listening to this presentation of classical drumming: ecstasy. 

The tabla is the traditional hand-drum of the subcontinent of India. It is the main percussion instrument of the country, and it’s as common in Indian households as the guitar or piano is in American households. 

Tabla Ecstasy is a dynamic ensemble consisting of four young musicians from the city of Ahmedabad, located in western India. The troupe was recently in the U.S. for their debut American tour, hitting major cities in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, California, New York and New Jersey. Their New York City concert, presented by the Taalim School of Indian Music, took place on April 17 in downtown Manhattan [For a previous LIW post about the Long Island branch of the Taalim school, click here].

The tabla is considered one of the most difficult percussion instruments in the world. Tabla music has an large following and is increasingly making its way into mainstream music and world music groups. 

“Tabla is often seen as an accompanying instrument in Indian music,” explains Rushi Vakil, one of the members of the ensemble. “In that role, it is hard for the audience to feel the full power and depth of this drum.

“In Tabla Ecstasy, tabla takes the center stage, while the accompanying instrument keeps the melodic rhythmic cycle,” Vakil says. “Through the performance, you see the various shades of this instrument. The performance is light and fun at times, serious and intense at other points. That is the beauty of this instrument. It has its own language and vocabulary.”

Tabla Ecstasy’s shows have attracted large audiences consisting of many backgrounds and ages. 

“Music is universal,” says Heena Patel, the MC and one of the organizers of the concert. “Tabla Ecstasy’s high-energy drumming appeals to such a wide variety of listeners. Our concerts usually are filled with a diverse and colorful audience.”

The composer and director of Tabla Ecstasy, Pandit Divyang Vakil, was in attendance at the show in New York City.  Pandit Divyang Vakil is renown worldwide as one of the great teachers of the tabla. 

“Panditji is a remarkable composer and teacher,” explains Patel, who is also a student studying under Vakil. “The musicians of Tabla Ecstasy have been learning tabla from him since they all were toddlers. In addition to Tabla Ecstasy, he is the composer of numerous other tabla-ensembles: Power of Tabla, Tabla Triveni, and Ardha-Taal Chakra, to name a few.”

The Manhattan concert took place at Atmananda Yoga Studio in SoHo. As the show was about to start, audience members removed their shoes and settled down onto yoga mats and pillows. Typical Indian classical music concerts are conducted in this manner, with the audience members seated on the floor.

The concert began with all four musicians playing in synchronized harmony. The power, strength and energy of the performance was undeniable from the start.

The compositions were complex and intriguing, yet immensely entertaining and exciting. The four artists hit incredibly fast and intricate strokes in complete unison with each other. 

As they played, the emotions, passion, and joy could be seen clearly on their faces. At times, they were in total concentration with their eyes closed and heads down. 

In the next instant, however, they were smiling and bobbing their heads enthusiastically with the rhythm. It was during these light moments that the audience erupted in applause.

The music was exhilarating. This was a display of Indian classical drumming at its best. 

Watching the musicians perform, one could see their personalities emerge.

The player on the far left, Kaumil, was suave, confident and charismatic. The musician seated next to him, Nishant, was sincere and contemplative. The third in the line, Rushi, was the group’s speaker. Rushi was in his element, totally comfortable on stage and doing what he was meant to do. 

And then there was the fourth member, Sahil—extremely animated and playful in his movements and expressions; a true pleasure to witness. 

All four musicians were successful in pulling the audience in and taking them along for the ride. Seeing the group together on that stage, one thing was for sure: the unity and tight bond between the four was unmistakable.

“There is strength in our unity,” says Nishant Mehta, one of the members of Tabla Ecstasy. “We work so well together because we are a brotherhood. We are a team. We are one family.”

As the concert ended and the musicians stepped down from the stage, the true meaning of Mehta’s statement was illustrated. All four young musicians approached their teacher and respectfully bowed down to him. There was a look of gratitude in their eyes. And in the eyes of their teacher, well, that was simply a look of fatherly love.


Sejal Kukadia is a faculty member at the Taalim School of Indian Music, an institute of classical tabla in NY/NJ.  Just like the members of Tabla Ecstasy, she is a disciple of Pandit Divyang Vakil.

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The artists of Tabla Ecstasy are Rushi Vakil, Nishant Mehta, Kaumil Shah and Sahil Patel.  The composer and director is Pandit Divyang Vakil.

For more information, visit: rrmproductions.com
More information on the artists is available at: myspace.com/tablaecstasy
Taalim School of Indian Music: taalim.com

Tags : drumming, indian, music, taalim, tabla

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