BENGALURU: Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, Taj Mahal, tea leaves and a talented young tabla player – rings a bell? Aditya Kalyanpur may have been just above eight years old during the filming of the iconic Taj Mahal Tea advertisement but his love for music began at the tender age of two and a half. Aditya’s earliest memory of being enamoured by the instrument was when he would play on the pair of tablas at home.
And such was his talent, his parents often told him he could replicate rhythms playing on radio or TV. “It wasn’t perfect at first but the replication was close enough. My father was an engineer and my mother a computer professional. I completely strayed away from their areas of expertise. Once I discovered the tabla, there was no looking back,” says the 40-year-old.
Memories and musings
When it comes to remembering his guru, Ustad Allah Rakha Qureshi, Aditya has many fond memories, likening their relationship to that of a grandfather and a grandchild. “About two or three days before he passed away, he attended one of my shows. Post my performance, he told my father that I was born to play the tabla and I’d make him and everyone proud,” he says. Such was their bond, that Aditya would accompany his guru on his travels and concerts, and even drove him around in Mumbai. “Tabla became a way of life with him,” he adds.
It was, in fact, Ustad Allah Rakha Qureshi who recommended Aditya for the Taj Mahal Tea advertisement. The 30-second commercial went on to kick-start a series of memorable firsts for the young tabla player. “It was the first time I went for a screen test, faced a camera, stepped into a studio, and it was also the first time I took a flight,” he recalls. But more than anything, the advertisement helped Indian classical music reach the homes of millions. “Zakir Hussain ji’s charisma and persona really helped to get appreciation for tabla.”
East meets West
Soon, the tabla started gaining recognition in western genres of music too, with Aditya being asked to record for artistes such as Keith Richards in 2001 and Katy Perry in 2013. “I gave them couple of options and there were no retakes,” he says. Aditya has equal respect for all genres of music. He says, “It’s great that tabla has found a place in rock, pop and other such genres. There’s no need to criticise fusion music; everyone is entitled to their individuality.”
After spending so many years in music, what’s the one change that Aditya has noticed? He says an upsurge in youngsters taking an interest in classical music. “I don’t just notice more youngsters in the audience but many taking up music as a viable profession now,” he says. And it’s exactly what the New England School of Music, established by him in Boston in 2008, aims to do. “We currently have around 80 to 100 students and have reached about 700 or 800 families. This school can help maintain the traditional art forms,” he says.