The rolling thunderous cadences of drumming are the most ancient, universally beloved joy of music known to man. In India alone, has drumming developed into a fine art form, a beautiful language of expressive syllables from the delicate to the explosive. A stupendous mathematical art of juggling kaleidoscopic patterns within the ring of the ‘tala’ cycle. HMV brings this superlative series as a tribute to a unique international art form.

Tabla
The tabla grew with the development of ‘Khayal’ in vocal music and ‘Kathak’ in dance, gradually overshadowing its precursor the traditional pakhawaj, which is co-eval with the esoteric Dhrupad system. This two part drum is comprised by the right hand tabla and the left hand ‘bayan’ or ‘dagga’.

The slimmer tabla with its tunable sharp lyrical sounds is the main orator with the base support provided by the sounds on the ‘bayan’. The sounds are lighter, sharper and allow for more lyrical expression.

This album contains uncommon rhythmic cycles of Hindustani classical music. Soolfakhta Taal (Originally known as Usool-E-Fakhta) consists of matras (Beats) per cycle. Chaartaal Ki Sawari is a rhythmic Cycle consisting of matras per cycle. The other rhythmic cycles are more common, Tritaal (Teentaal) consists of 16 matras per cycle and Ektaal consists of 12 matras per cycle.

Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain need no introduction to the connoisseurs of Hindustani music. The world eminence, each has deservedly come to command, has possibly no parallel in the annals of our music tradition. Ustad Alla Rakha’s nonpareil achievements today have behind them a chequered and eventful career spanning more than five decades. Today, he is acclaimed as the monarch of India’s percussion world.

Ustad Zakir Hussain is the unquestioned crown prince. His achievements as a soloist, accompanist and innovator have been truly mind-boggling. So much so, that they go far beyond the limits of verbal adulation.

Tabla Recital
• Taal –Soolfakhta
(Ustad Alla Rakha)

• Taal –Chaartaal Ki Sawari
(Ustad Zakir Hussain)

• Taal – Tritaal
(Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain)

• Taal –Ektaal
(Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain)