The Best of Tabla (Set of 2 Audio CDs)

The name tabla is probably derived from tabla the generic Arabic word for a drum. A popular notion is that Amir Khursru invented the tabla by splitting the pakhwaj into two drums. This is not supported by historical evidence. The earliest depictions and literature describing the tabla as we recognize it today come from the 18th century. Over the next two centuries the tabla began to take the forefront of percussion instruments in north Indian classical music while it slowly changed.

In its present form the bayan (left hand drum) is a hemispherical bowl-shaped drum made of polished copper, brass, bronze, or clay, covered by a composite membrane. The dayan (right hand drum) is a conical drum shell out of a solid piece of hard wood with one open end covered by a composite membrane. It shell is much thicker than most other drums and its inner cavity is rather shallow this increases sustained resonance of the membrane by minimizing energy dissipation through the shell. The black patch or Syaahi on the membrane results in the tabla’s tuneable pitch which is tuned to the Sa (tonic note) of the musician and thus contributes to and complements the melody. The syaahi also gives the tabla a unique surgace on which to create a wide variety of sounds unavailable to drums with an unmodified membrane.

This album features the very best tracks of the tabla wizards Ustad Zakir Hussain and Sarwar Sabri, rendering some masterpieces on the instrument.

Music in sublime Indian classical music is nirvana! For long Indian classical music has held a distinct identity of one rooted in cultural antiquity. That rich is its lineage and that glorious its heritage. This art form is more than just an expression of Indian’s cultural ethos it is art in all its beauty. From the grandeur of the maestros bearing ensembles characteristic of their time to instruments that not only produce the mot sublime of melodies but stand picturesque in their detailed structure and form this album is a saga of the very best of Indian classical instruments. We present to you instruments that have evolved and stood the test of time to represent India’s map of instrumental music. These are captured by none other than stalwarts who have mastered these instruments and presented them in all their glory.