Pt. Keshab Kanti Chowdhury
An accomplished and an internationally acclaimed Tabla exponent of the Delhi Gharana. Pt. Chowdhury - a versatile percussionist, a composer and a teacher was encouraged unreservedly in percussion music right from childhood. The rolling thunderous cadence of his drums with quick turn of his style from soft passage to brisk movements weaving intricate rhythmic patterns and an wonderful mathematical art of juggling in kaleidoscopic patterns within the ring of the time cycle have been greatly admired by the audience on several platforms. His aesthetic perception, virtuosity and elation have given his playing a fine and unique character.
He has redefined Tabla &Taal with the creation of compositions on complex taals such as Taal “Triveni”- 6¾ beats (quarter to seven), Taal “Panchang”- 11¼ beats (eleven & quarter), Taal “Saptarshi”- 15¾ beats (quarter to sixteen), Taal “Navagati”- 20¼beats (twenty & quarter) etc. Apart from presenting solo recital in common taals in vogue today, he has performed solo on rare and extinct taals such as Rudra Taal (11 beats), Pancham Sawari (15 beats), Shikhar Taal (17 beats), Matta Taal (18 beats), Unavingsha Taal (19 beats), Laxmi Taal (21 beats)etc.
For the first time in Indian rhythm history, Pt. Chowdhury has played solo on complex taal “Taal Panchang” - 11¼ beats (eleven & quarter) at “Rarest of Rare” concert at Habitat Center, New Delhi in 2015. DD National TV Channel’s Archives have recorded those complex taals in 2009.
In India he has also played with many eminent musicians over decades such as Grammy Award winner Padmabhushan Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Pt. Partho Das, Pt. Gopal Krishna, Vidushi Sisirkona Dhar Choudhury, Padmabhushan Pt. Rajan Sajan Mishra, Padmashri Vidushi Rita Ganguly, Pt. Singh Bandhu, Ustad Hafiz Ahmad Khan, Pt. Mani Prasad, Pt. L. K. Pandit and many more.
He is empanelled in ICCR’s Reference Panel of Artistes (under Ministry of External Affairs) and ‘Festival of India-Abroad Cell’ of Ministry of Culture. He is attached with Sangeet Natak Academy (under Ministry of Culture), Sahitya Kala Parishad (Government of Delhi), All India Radio & TV and has been doing Free-Lanching musical performances both in India and abroad for the last 38 years with the most distinguished musicians.
Apart from India, he has performed many concerts in Russia, Spain, Ukraine, China, Tanzania(Africa), Belarus, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria, Oman etc. including concerts for UNO & UNESCO.
Pandit Chowdhury, the senior most disciple of Ustad Chamma Khan has preserved the legacy of his legendary Guru. He is just the messenger of his Guru, following his footprints and spreading the Delhi Gharana - the original style of Tabla, as best as he can.
Professional Training
His father was a Vocalist and his Grand father was a Pakhawaj player. Born in a family of musicians he started learning Vocal and Srikhol (percussion) from his father at a very early age and then at the age of 12 he started learning Tabla
under the guidance of Guru Pt. Milan Chetri, disciple of well known Tabla maestro Ustad Afaque Hussain Khan of Lucknow Gharana and Pt. Rangnath Mishra of Beneras Gharana. Later, he also became disciple of the great Tabla
wizard Ustad Chamma Khan of Delhi Gharana - the finest and foremost of all the schools of Tabla and continued for several years under Guru-Shishya Parampara. He has received guidance on Pakhawaj (percussion) from Mridangacharya Pt. Ram Kishore Das and guidance on Raga compositions from Sarode maestro Pt. Sunil Mukherjee - a disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar. He has learnt Arabian, Latin, Spanish and African drums in Russia, Spain and in Tanzania. He gave his first public performance in singing at the age of eight.
International Activities
He has played with many well known international musicians such as Vyacheslav Gorsky - Piano player (Russia), Alex Rostotsky - Bass Guitarist (Russia), Anatoly Gerasimov-Saxafon/Soprano player (Russia), Rishad Shafi-Drummer (Turkmenistan), Kamal Ballan -Udh player (Syria), Grant Airapetan[-Kemancha player (Armenia), Gorkhmaz Ahundov-Tar player (Azerbaijan), Yuri Perfanov -Trumpet player (Uzbekistan), Dr. Urisri-Udh player (Egypt), Ustad Daud Khan-Sarode player (Afghanistan), Sergey Anchupov (disciple of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan)-Sarod player (Latvia), Skip Parente-Violin player (USA), David Penia Dorante-Piano player - Flamenco music (Spain), Ms. Sharmini Tharmaratnam (disciple of Guru Rajendra Gangani) -Kathak dancer (Spain) etc.
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As a performer, composer and teacher, he has done more for Indian drumming in Russia and in Spain than any other percussionists from India. He has participated many international music festivals organized at different parts of Russia, Europe, Middle-East countries and in Africa. He has experimented the fusion of Indian drumming with musicians and drummers from Russia., Europe, Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan), Middle-East countries (Arab, Syria, Iran), American and African Jazz, Japan, Spain, Afghanistan, Brazil etc.
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He has given many TV programs at Russian Channels such as REN-TV, NTV, ORT etc. NTV has produced a film on his biography under the series of “Archeology of Sound” and has shown in their channels in Middle-East and European countries. On his big success and popularity Tabla was even introduced as the first Indian percussion instrument at Moscow State Conservatory (Russia) and he worked there as an instructor (1997-2000).
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Pt. Chowdhury had the opportunity to work in Russia on invitation from Ministry of Culture, Russian Federation during 2000-2002. Later, he formed his own Ensemble “Gandhar” with an aim of wider publicity of Indian drumming. Using music as a medium he united different musicians of diverse cultures such as Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Middle-East countries etc. and presented many incomparable concerts under one umbrella which had an impact on cultural symbiosis between East and West.
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He was invited by Neopercusion School, Madrid, Spain for imparting teaching and performances at their international percussion festival “Ritmo Vital 2002”. During 2003 he has performed with Moroccan ensemble “Al Jarab” in Granada (Spain), Escuela de musica y danza de la India at Sala Caracol Madrid (Spain). He has played with David Penia Dorantes at the “Bienal de Flamenco” festival in Sevila in 2004, which is one of the most important flamenco events in the world.
He has been instrumental in setting up Indo-Spanish Music School in Sevilla (Spain) in 2003 to provide education in music. For this purpose he was granted a residence permit to reside in Spain. He worked as a Musical Director for the Centro during 2003-2005. He also formed Ensemble “Gandhar” in Sevilla (Spain) with Spanish and Brazilian artistes.
In the year 2011, Pt. Chowdhury was deputed at the newly opened Indian Cultural Center under High Commission of India, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (Africa) as a Tabla Teacher-cum-Performer for popularizing the art of playing Tabla. He has established the Indian cultural heritage among the PIOs through teaching, performances, Lecture-Demonstration, collaborations etc. He has taught more than 150 students during his tenure for 3 years and they have given number of “Percussion Orchestras” under the guidance of their Guru. To popularize Indian drumming among Tanzanians, he collaborated with the Deptt. of Fine & Performing Arts, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and organized number of Indo-Tanzanian fusion concerts such as “Sur & Taal”, “Rhythmic Unity” etc. In those concerts, the harmony of both Northern (Hindustani) and Southern (Carnatic) styles of Indian singing traditions and dance, combined with Tanzanian traditional songs and dance, accompanied by musical instruments and drums of both countries were shown. These programs were likely to be the first of its kinds in the history of Tanzania and India and were grand success. Those cross-over projects were arranged and designed by Pt. Keshab Kanti Chowdhury.
Pt. Chowdhury composed and directed music as well as played many percussion instruments for the Dance Drama “Shyama”- written by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore being organized by the High Commission of India, Tanzania to mark the 150th Centenary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in the year 2011. He trained the local talents (Indian expatriates) in different fields of music and dance for this drama. The program was a grand success. Pt. Chowdhury also gave a Lec-Dem on “Time Cycles and Intricate Rhythmic Patterns of Tabla” and a Tabla solo recital at the 7th International Symposium on Ethnomusicology being organised by Deptt. of Fine & Performing Arts, University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania on 27/07/2013. His Lec-Dem and solo recital in 16 beats (Teentaal) and 17 beats (Shikhar Taal-a rare rhythmic cycle) were highly appreciated by the audience from around the world.