Why Is No One Talking About The 2 Indian Tabla Players Who Bagged The Grammys This Year?

Indians win at Grammy

This year’s 59th Annual Grammy Awards were a global talking point. Not only was Adele’s five-win stride and speech heart-touching, but Beyoncé flaunting that baby bump on stage like a Queen was wowing. Amid all that hullabaloo and fans tripping over such awesomeness, people kinda missed out that there were two Indians at the same award night who made India proud.

Winning Grammys for their exceptional skills, two table players – Sandeep Das and Abhiman Kaushal – added a touch of desi to the award night.

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Sandeep Das, bagged a solo trophy in the World Music category for his collaboration with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble ‘Sing Me Home’. Congratulating him was musician Shubha Mudgal,

And, Abhiman was part of the ‘White Sun II’, which won the 59th Grammy for being the Best New Age Album.

 

But who are Sandeep and Abhiman? Let’s have a look.

Abhiman Kaushal

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-Hailing from Hyderabad, Kaushal is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Ethnomusicology at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

-He belongs to the Farukkabad, Lucknow and Ajrara schools of tabla.

 

– Kaushal was initiated in this art at a young age by his father, Shri R. B. Kaushal, who was a disciple of the legendary Ustad Amir Hussain Khan. Kaushal took further training under Ustad Sheikh Dawood and Pandit B. Nandkumar.

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– Kaushal has performed at major international venues in England, Germany, Italy, Norway, Belgium, France, Israel, Japan, Mexico, United States, and India. He has performed with leading musicians such as Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt. Jasraj, Ustad Shuaat Hussain, and Smt. Lakshmi Shankar.

– National Geographic has recorded his tabla for the soundtrack to their documentary “Man” Eaters of North India.

 

Sandeep Das

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– Born in Patna, Sandeep graduated in English Literature with gold medal from Banaras Hindu University.

 

– He started learning tabla under Shiv Kumar Singh at the age of 8. And, from Kishan Maharaj, under the Indian Guru-shishya parampara, at the age of 9.

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– After 11 years of tutelage in Benaras Gharana, Das moved to Delhi in 1990, to pursue his career as a professional Tabla player.

– Sandeep Das is an Artist, Educator, Composer, Speaker and Cultural Entrepreneur now living in Boston.

 

– He has served as an artist in residence at many major Colleges and Universities throughout the United States Dartmouth University, Brandeis University, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Clara, College of the Holy Cross, Juilliard school of Music, Berklee School of Music, and UC British Columbia.

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-Over a career of 23 years, he’s composed and collaborated with the Legendary Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble, String quartets and Orchestra’s such as The New York Philharmonic, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and The Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Congratulations Sandeep and Abhiman! You make us proud!

News Source: Times Of India

Fact Source: Sandeep Das, Abhiman Kaushal

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