Legends of Percussion

[Anirban Halder]

Great series!
I especially love the second shot of the second series. This is something I rarely achieve!

cheers
afx

Thank you Andreas. I've always been fan of your concert photos (and your other photos as well). They are best in class and rarely I've seen work like of that standard. Thank you again for stopping by and your kind words.

[Anirban Halder]

Great series, Anirban!

I didn't know which is Ustad Taufiq's main instrument.  The google search revealed that he learned ghatam under Pandit Vikku Vinayakram.  Ghatam technique seems to resemble that of Djembe.

Thank you, Akira! Ustad Taufiq plays drums, dumroo, batajon, djembe, madal and timbale. Lately in most of the concerts he plays drums and djembe. His major influences have been Ustad Alla Rakha, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pundit Vikku Vinayakram, Master Drummers, Buddy Rich, Billy Cobham, Aeirto Morreiro, Giovanni Hidalgo and Tito Pointe ..per his biography.
What's interesting, first time in he played in a concert with his father Ustad Alla Rakha and brother Ustad Zakir Hussain was in Germany, in 1988!

You know, if you can come down to Bangalore this February, you will get a chance experience Ustad Zakir, Trilok Gurto and Shivmani - all of them! 

[afx]

Thank you Andreas. I've always been fan of your concert photos (and your other photos as well). They are best in class and rarely I've seen work like of that standard. Thank you again for stopping by and your kind words.

Thank you, way too much praise, you can easily hold your own!

cheers
afx

[Anirban Halder]

The Indian percussion thread would remain incomplete without these two legends - Trilok Gurtu and Anandan Sivamani.

Trilok Gurtu is universally acknowledged as one of the most innovative and ground breaking percussionists around. His work has blended the Indian classical rhythm with jazz fusion, world music and other genres. His music has strong influence of African rhythms & beats and drumming patterns. It is hard to find him in India as he mostly tours all over the world. I awaited many years to attend his performance.


Fuji X-T10, 55-200.

[Anirban Halder]

Shivamani - one of the most eminent percussionist in India, plays numerous instruments both traditional and non-traditional (like playing a 30 lit water container in the second shot below). He considers Sri Trilok Gurtu his Guru.

[Anirban Halder]

Drumstick in the air.

[Anirban Halder]

And both of them on stage together, is once a lifetime experience.

[Akira]

It should have been worth the wait, Anirban.  Your images prove that.  Thanks for sharing!

[Olivier]

Thanks for opening me to an absolutely unknown world (to me...)
This, on top of masterful (does this work exist??) photo technique. Your B&W are models to be studied (I know I will!), and the daring colors in the Sivamani series transform the representation.
Thank you very much!

[Frank Fremerey]

Trilok Gurtu shines on your photos. Do you have some more to listen to for me?

I love the meeting of the two in #21 very much. Such a great eye contact!

[Akira]

These are not the traditional Indian music, but you can see amazing performances of Trilok on these videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd2AvtdFCvQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC_09oOdVoo

[Anirban Halder]

Thank you Akira. It was worth indeed. And, thanks for the links below. :)

Olivier, thank you for the kind words. Colors were to show the intensity, fieriness they had on stage. And, it was a break from usual processing.  :)

Frank, thank you. I will surely share some more youtube links. Btw, in April Trilok Gurtu will be performing in Germany, although venues are not very close to Bonn.
2 April   Nürnberg / Germany   Oper
7 April   München / Germany   Philharmonie


Their Accompanists: Stephen Devassy on keyboard and Pandit Ronu Majumder on Flute.