The boy who picked up the tabla now a master of it
Delighting a Sri Lankan audience with his ability to make the tabla sing, Indian percussionist Pandit Tanmoy Bose performed to a spellbound house last Sunday. His audiences these past years have included royalty from around the world like the Princess of Afghanistan to Prince Charles and he has won no less than four prestigious Grammy awards. “Truthfully, it’s Ravi-Ji’s Grammy” he says humbly, speaking of the man he regards as one of his mentors- Pandit Ravi Shankar. “I was blessed enough to be a part of the group who won the Grammy.”
Live in Concert in Colombo: Tanmoy Bose (centre) performing with his band Taal Tantra. Pic by Mangala Weerasekera
Commencing his musical voyage as a little boy Tanmoy Bose shares that he was no exception to the tradition in Bangalore, “along with academic education children are generally encouraged to engage in some form of art.” Studying under the same music teacher both he and his mother shared countless hours of practice during which he recalls “we pushed each other to do better.” Taking up the tabla just to improve musicality and rhythm, little knowing that it was what he would grow up to be known for he says, “by the time I finished school, I knew my line was music.”
“My grandfather was very upset!” he laughs, “but my parents supported me even though they didn’t understand.” Coming from a family of physicians he feels grateful for all the support they gave him. “Some of my friends parents were more worried than my own!” he says recalling an instance when he was invited to perform in London just six months before his ‘plus two’ exams. That meant he would have to postpone sitting the exams (equivalent to our local Advanced Levels) for a whole year. Remembering how his friends’ parents couldn’t understand why he was allowed to go on tour he shares, “they even came to my parents and asked them what I will do with my future.”
The support system that extended to include his teachers who allowed him to go home early to practise drumming rather than “waste time at class” is what Bose thinks helped him to get where he his today. Not even imagining he would encounter some of his musical idols he recalls being “completely awestruck” at meeting members of The Beatles and Eric Clapton. Having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that he was “actually sitting next to Ravi Shankar on stage, close enough to touch him,” taking nothing for granted Pandit Bose shared that he felt humbled to have a chance throughout his career to meet and perform with “nothing short of the best.”
He concedes that the experiences he holds dear will not have the same effect on his children. “ When I came into the industry, it was all new to me and I was easily fascinated.”
Feeling that his greatest achievement is how much he inspires and gives back to society Pandit Bose despite his fame, makes time to work with children who have special needs and girls who have been trafficked. Proudly sharing that one of his autistic students can now recite rhythms clearly he says that these projects “really go a long way.”
Tanmoy Bose: Fusion his forte
“At my concerts, if I can inspire one child to take up an instrument it’s a success,” is the belief he fosters. Being encouraged by his father to never work in the hope of fame or money, music to him is all about how inclusive he could make it. Enjoying world music, Taal Tantra which loosely translates to meditative rhythm is an experimental band he set up in 2000 with some European artists. Being fascinated how different instruments from around the world produce similar or identical sounds he believes by “presenting familiar sound by unfamiliar mediums” music could transcend culture and be appreciated by more people. “This is why I do fusion music” he shares, by bringing a guitar or even a keyboard on stage with classical instruments he hopes to make classical music relevant to youth.
Feeling disappointed that Indian music is reduced to Bollywood’s depiction of it among the young people he says, “as a musician I feel responsible for the quality of music people get when they come for my shows.” He went on to explain that this pressure is why he still gets a little nervous before getting on stage.
Performing for an audience at the Musaeus College Auditorium, on the invitation of Standard Chartered Bank, Pandit Bose staged the Indian Edition of Taal Tantra which featured performances by folk artists from Northern Bangalore and leading percussionists.
Exposing the local audience to traditional Indian classical and folk music with a twist, he said he was happy and encouraged to note just how “receptive and non judgmental” they were of his music.
Having heard Sri Lankan music he says, “I have even met Pandit Amaradeva.” Listening to cassette recordings of Amaradeva’s music and visiting Sri Lanka are not the only experiences he has to remember of the country. He admits to have suffered some sleepless nights when his youngest son wanted to “colour his hair like Malinga” after watching the Sri Lankan cricketer play in the IPL matches.