A promising Tabla player

Back from India Raju took Tabla-playing as a profession. 'I'm fortunate enough to get a government job in the BTV as a staff artiste and have a job security', he says. 'It's very difficult to earn a living as a Tabla-player without any patronisation. I also perform on media like audiocassettes, stage etc.'

Raju mentions that the increase of satellite television has led to wider scopes for Tabla-playing but the true admiration of Tabla, especially for solo performance, has not increased as such. The solo performance is not popular in our country. The Tabla is used as an accompaniment with the singers or dancers on stage or any other media.

'I am trying my best to bring forward solo Tabla recitals at the media. I performed a solo Tabla recital for BTV which is going on air as a filler. Programme Manager (Drama) Kamrun Nesa Hasan helped me a lot.' Raju says, 'There is a story in the music played on the Tabla just as there is always a story in a song and a dance. I want the audience to listen to that story.'

Tabla is the most used instrument among all the musical instruments that are played with the songs in the Subcontinent. But the traditional gurus are no more there these days.

'Tabla has a language of its own, the right weight of the hands, and the feel of the fingers--to make the instrument speak properly. These two things should meet first, otherwise the Tabla will not 'speak' rightly for the artiste at all,' concludes Raju.