Legendary tabla player Sandeep Das had won Grammy Award 2017 for the Best World Music Album for "The Silk Road Ensemble - Sing Me Home" with American-French cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
But Sandeep says he didn’t inherit music as compared to many others who belong to a certain generation of music Gharanas; instead he says his parents had a great appreciation for classical music. His father could spot his deep interest and talent for beats. He encouraged him to follow his heart. Mr Das is proud of his heritage and a true believer of destiny.
He fondly shared the childhood incident when his primary school teacher made a complaint to his father about his habit of tapping on his desk in the class disturbing everyone. When asked not to do so, Sandeep would thump the floor with his feet.
Sandeep Das - with fellow musicians of The Silkroad Ensemble Source: EMMA COLLISON PUBLICITY
“So the teacher suggested my father to take me to a doctor” laughingly Sandeep narrated the whole episode.
“I was really frightened for reaching home from the school expecting the worse- an injection from the doctor but , there I saw a pair of Tabla Instrument on the coffee table just waiting for me …” he added. His father had already arranged a teacher ‘Sri Shivkumar Singh’ to teach Tabla. After two years, he was sent to Banaras to tabla maestro Guru Pt. Kishan Maharaj. Born in Patna, India, his debut concert was with Pt. Ravi Shanker when was 16.
His first nomination for Grammy Award in 2003 was for a recording The Rain wherein he collaborated on Tabla with well-known sitarist Ustad Shujat Khan and an Iranian musician Kayhan Kalhor. This album was produced by their very successful group called Ghazal which travelled around the world.
Sandeep Das Source: EMMA COLLISON PUBLICITY
Speaking with SBS Hindi, he talked about his rewarding journey from the small town of Bihar to working with Yo-Yo Ma, the relationship which is not only but a personal relationship too. Sandeep regards him as an elder brother and a true friend. A true believer of destiny, he recollected that some time a round in 2000, Yo-Yo Ma had approached Kayhan to compose a piece for their forthcoming concert. The piece needed a tabla player. Though the group had looked around in America itself but nothing could be worked out, hence he got roped into the project by a strong recommendation by Kayhan.
“… It was 20 minute piece, and Yo Yo Ma was so impressed with the outcome, that our association took next leap…", said Sandeep. And the rest is history. Many doors opened and opportunities never stopped coming in..
He said that unlike many other many other fields, the journey is never easy because there is no set target. “Music is a difficult art, in general difficult career with no clear target to achieve.”
He also talked about how Indian classical music is clouded under the pop band culture where as Indian classical music has always been regarded in high esteem internationally. He pointed out the low popularity of classical music concerts within India.
“ …It is a tragedy that we are forgetting our heritage and that’s why you see mostly classical music artists are touring internationally.”
A Gold Medalist in English Literature from Banaras Hindu University in India, Sandeep Das currently lives in Boston, USA.
He is touring Australia in March with Silkroad Ensemble, performances at Sydney opera house, Perth Festival, Qld Performing Arts Centre and WOMADelaide 2019.
Founded by American-French cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the Silkroad Ensemble is a collective of virtuoso musicians from over 20 countries. Their repertoire will include popular jazz; traditional Vietnamese, Chinese and Kazakh music; Finnish folk song; Jugalbandi (Indian classical) and much more.
