Tabla maestro Aneesh Pradhan has had a long association with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), since the time he accompanied his mother for the condolence meeting of the great Ahmed Jan Thirakwa when he was just 10. He has accompanied many vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers at the venue, besides participating in seminars and presenting lectures. For some reason, a solo recital had eluded him.
That gap was filled on April 5, when Pradhan performed at the annual Saz-e-Bahar festival at the complex’s Godrej Dance Theatre. “I can’t say exactly why I haven’t done a solo recital at NCPA before,” he says.
Pradhan inherited his style from his guru Pt Nikhil Ghosh. Besides traditional compositions in the Delhi, Farrukhabad, Lucknow, Ajrada and Punjab gharanas, he has created his own pieces. He was only six when he began learning at Arun Sangeetalaya, that Ghosh had founded in Mumbai and which later became Sangeet Mahabharati. He recalls, “Initially, I learnt from his senior disciples. But after a while, he asked me to learn directly from him and accepted me as a gandabandh disciple.”
The musician points out that besides the art of tabla, Ghosh influenced him in many other ways. He says, “The learning went beyond the way I wanted to play. I also wanted to think like him, about the totality of music. He taught me the importance of constantly learning new things. So besides him, I also learnt from the musicians and dancers I accompanied. Today, I can be inspired by someone younger than me as well.”
With that approach, Pradhan began to explore other areas connected to music, from composition and teaching to research and writing. He says, “The fondness for research was always there, since I did my bachelors and masters in history at Mumbai’s Elphinstone College. I later did my PhD in music history, specialising in how Hindustani music evolved in colonial Bombay.”
The research led to the book Hindustani Music In Colonial Bombay, which won him a medal from the Asiatic Society of Mumbai. Pradhan is also author of a children’s book on tabla, part of a forthcoming series on Indian musical instruments. He has also authored the book Tabla: A Performer’s Perspective, which provides an overview of the instrument’s stylistic features and performance contexts. His articles for a website have been compiled as a book called Hindustani Music: Ways Of Listening. He’s also written the book Chasing The Raag Dream: A Look Into The World Of Hindustani Classical Music. He says, “I wanted to look at Hindustani music after 1947 up to recent times. There are other book ideas, but things are still at an initial stage.”
Pradhan says he does not have a fixed riyaaz schedule, but is involved with music most of the time. He and his wife, singer Shubha Mudgal, are constantly discussing various aspects of music. He says, “We are very honest with our opinions and that helps us learn things. When I compose, I usually have her sing it, so I have an idea how the piece will sound. We also discuss various styles, and that helps me think of music in totality.”
The desire to explore newer territories led to international collaborations with the Asian Fantasy Orchestra, based in Japan, the Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt, and the Sirens Big Band of Australia, featuring Mudgal and saxophonist Sandy Evans. Last year, Pradhan was invited to collaborate with the Zafraan Ensemble in Germany for concerts featuring a composition specially written for tabla and ensemble by Stefan Keller.
According to Pradhan, teaching gives him immense joy. Besides lecture-demonstrations and seminars in universities and musical institutions, he has his own set of students. He says, “They could be of two types. One begins learning the ABC of tabla from me. The others have learnt from other teachers and come to me. The approach is different in both cases, and in the latter, one has to tweak their playing style.”
Asked how online methods have changed the training methodology, Pradhan says, “The form was used a lot after the lockdown, and it became necessary. But there are certain things we cannot do online. There is a gap in sound, and if we are playing as a group, it becomes difficult to synchronise. But trends change, and one has to adapt.”
Pradhan says he always tries to explain the logic behind why he does specific things. It’s a belief that has helped him through his career. “I also like questions. I may or may not have an immediate answer, but a relevant question will make me think. It’s a constant learning process,” he concludes.
