I am particularly looking forward to playing with Anuradha Pal for the first time. © 2018 Indian Women Blog. The baaj (playing style) of the gharana is characterised by extensive resonant strokes of the daya (the right tabla) and intriguing rhythm structures. To her the reference to her as a woman performer means quite the opposite. Rimpa credits her father for her polished skills and success who has helped her perfect her playing technique and to adapt to the Farrukhabad style, one of the six prominent gharanas of tabla playing in the country. 300 and Rs. She recalls her early days. “Tabla was the domain of the Dhadhis, who had access to male performance spaces in the Mughal world; female Dhadhis, also widely known as Domni and later on as Mirasan, played in the private Mughal spaces of the harem and zenana.". Rimpa says the audience is very appreciative of her tabla concerts. “I just took to it,” she says. She remembers the meeting as a “strange dream”. Father- Daughter Tabla Duet: Pandit Swapan Siva & Rimpa Siva … Now 34, the Beleghata resident is a star. When I was about 12, I went on the ITC tour of Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur,” says Rimpa. There was something so fun about the sound of these two simple drums,” shares Rimpa. There are around five women who play other instruments like Pakhawaj and Sitar. This stems at least partly from gender stereotypes suggesting that women are not strong enough to handle percussion instruments or not suited to mastering complex rhythms. In 1998, she was featured in the French documentary Rimpa Siva: Princess of Tabla. In fact, the earliest image of a tabla player that Kippen has seen is of a woman, from the 1730s. A 34-year-old Beleghata resident's journey as a percussionist, a field still intrinsically attributed to males. In a solo performance at the NCPA festival, Siva demonstrated her virtuosity, playing different pieces in the 16-beat teen taal, including one composed by her father and one by Khan. Yet this festival, organised by Emars Events and curated by Gladpeople Management, is unique as three concerts have been planned in three cities.For her part, Siva has had a busy schedule over the past month, with shows in Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Hubbali-Dharwad in Karnataka. She also looks dressed like a typical male tabla player, in a high-collar kurta, and together with her hair, she almost suggests Zakir Hussain. As a three-year-old in Kolkata, Rimpa Siva was instantly attracted to the tabla. She was stunning from the start. In 2004, she accompanied Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia as the main tabla player on his US tour. Subhajyoti Guha (Tabla), a highly talented tabla player, and is one of the NEW GENRE of tabla exponents who are taking this world of North Indian percussion instrument to greater heights in the 21st century. “I just took to it,” she says. She was taught to play the Farukhabad gharana style by her father, Prof. Swapan Siva. She was taught to play the Farukhabad gharana style by her father, Prof. Swapan Siva. For many years, she had left the decision of choosing her concerts to her father. This concert will be live streamed in India at 8 PM ISD and in USA at 8 PM US EST. Even though Siva has accompanied top artistes—a few years ago, she went on a two-month tour of the US with flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia—she is largely a solo artiste. They are not comfortable.”. When Rimpa was born, Swapan’s dream of a … Siva’s accomplishments should not lull us, however, into believing that gender barriers in Indian classical music have tumbled. Skip navigation Sign in It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. “Of late, I would be even travelling every month within the country, and sometimes two times abroad in a year.”. Rimpa, daughter of prominent Bengali tabla-player father Swapan Siva, has been playing the instrument on stage since she was eight. He thought that the musician was at least 18-19 years old. Rimpa, daughter of prominent Bengali tabla-player father Swapan Siva, has been playing the instrument on stage since she was eight. Through his performances Subhajyoti has won the hearts of his listeners and his talent has also been acknowledged by maestros. “It is still a novelty to see a woman percussionist," says Swaminathan, 24, on email. Subscribe to The Hindu now and get unlimited access. In the 20th century, Mumbai-based Parsi musician Aban Mistry, who died three years ago at the age of 72, was likely the first professional woman tabla player—the Hindustani counterpart of Sumathi Ramamohan Rao. degree from Rabindra Bharati University in Instrumental Music. “It is physically challenging to play the tabla. You have reached your limit for free articles this month. “At that moment, I only feel peace and joy. Tickets are for Rs. “I have played with some of these artistes before, and they are all amazing. One such spot is the one behind the tabla. Those who feel music know that peace and joy.”, On stage, she appears to go into a trance, lost in the music. But this was ironically because of another bias: Brahmin women who were taking to vocal music for the first time could not find men to accompany them.