“Before Dada says anything, let me say, he is my hero” — that’s how the panel discussion at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (AKLF) began, with a touching tribute from Bickram Ghosh to his senior, Kumar Bose. Three generations of musicians — Kumar Bose, Bickram Ghosh and Kumar’s nephew, Rohen Bose — discussed everything from the evolution of tabla to the illustrious careers of the two tabla maestros.
The occasion was also marked by the announcement of Kumar Bose’s memoir Tablawallah.
‘Tabla is fantastic rhythmic invention’
Kumar Bose, recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2007, has travelled across the world as a percussionist. A child prodigy, his first public performance was at the age of 4. Now, at 70, the global music icon has penned his lifetime of experiences in his memoir, Tablawallah. The session that started with his take on whether tabla is the most evolved drum that can accompany any kind of music — be it vocal, dance or instrumental — sparked interest of the audience. “Tabla is arguably the greatest drum in the world,” said Bickram, supporting his senior.
Bickram also explained how tabla can be tuned to any tonic. “The right hand drum, which is the tabla, is a staccato drum, whereas the baya is a modulatory drum. One of the things I have learnt from Dada (Kumar Bose) is his baya modulation. That is what the instrument allows — it has a staccato side and a legato side,” said Bickram.
‘Tabla has a full-blown language’
Bickram Ghosh’s punch lines and Kumar Bose’s introspections made the session an interesting one Krishnungshu Gangopadhyay
“You can talk tabla,” Bickram shared. He further explained how easy it was to understand tabla, doing a verbal rhythm, enthralling the audience. The discussion then veered towards the expansive literature of tabla. “Tabla is not a secondary drum” — Bickram’s statement not only received applause from the audience but also affirmation from Kumar, who added, “Tabla should be called a supporting instrument and not an accompanying instrument.” Continuing the conversation, Bickram quipped, “A famous tabla player (Zakir Hussain) won three Grammys the other day, let’s not forget that.”
‘Tabla will not lose its acoustic nature’
Bickram is known for his experimental techniques as a musician. But he firmly believes that while tabla will get into an electronic zone, it won’t lose its acoustic nature. “Just because there is autotune, have people stopped doing riyaz?” explained the Global Indian Music Academy (GIMA) awardee.
The audience were seen enjoying the conversation Krishnungshu Gangopadhyay
Why ‘Tablawallah’, explained Kumar Bose
An artiste’s life is not all about the glitz and glamour. Behind the scenes, it’s a saga of hard work and riyaz. At 70, Kumar, who has performed with legends such as Ravi Shankar, and was trained by his father, tabla player Biswanath Bose, has seen both sides of the coin — from finding his footing to gaining global fame. “The book prepares the upcoming generation for the path,” said Kumar.
Rohen Bose, who is also a strong force behind the book, expressed his views on the dichotomy between Kumar Bose’s generation and his own — and the ever-looming question on the future of classical music artistes.
Learning from their fathers, Shankar Ghosh and Biswanath Bose, Bickram and Kumar took a trip down memory lane, reflecting on the values imparted by their fathers, who were also incidentally their first gurus.
‘Give your best to what you are doing to make it successful’
(L to R) The camaraderie among Bickram, Kumar and Rohen weaved a beautiful rhythm @rohenbose/Instagram
The two stalwarts shared similar opinions when it came to life lessons. Uncompromising hard work, living in the moment and being true to the craft — the tenets of learning have not changed between the two generations. The session that concluded with an impromptu performance by Kumar, with one of his own compositions, left the audience eager for the book’s release and more such performances from the three generations of tabla players.
