Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Futuristic beats
|
Suphala has taken the tabla to newer heights
|
Suphala
How often do we get to hear a woman tabla player whose album boasts of popular names such as Norah Jones, Antonio Banderas and Salim Merchant on the vocals? Artistes like Suphala can be heard once in many years!
Suphala who? Well, someone who learnt the piano at the age of four, got bored of it and began exploring the complex rhythms of the tabla. The daughter of a mechanical engineer in Minneapolis, U.S, Suphala shot to fame with her live performances across the U.S., and her album, The Now, has just been released in India. In an exclusive interview, she speaks about the sounds of the tabla, the Indian music scene and more.
There are very few women who choose to learn the tabla. How does it feel cracking the sound of an instrument which falls into a male domain?
This is a common notion but I never faced hurdles. When you actually sit down to create a sound, it's just about the music, which is beyond gender and everything else for that matter. I continuously learn from my gurus, and the fact that I'm a woman has never come between us.
The tabla can be heard everywhere these days, thanks to world music and U.K. bhangra. Is it set to be the mascot of Indian music, worldwide?
It has already become one. The tabla has become integral to life in India and is today the pulse of the country's music. It has graduated from being just another Indian instrument to becoming a form of drums internationally.
Due to live performances, your music is gaining popularity in the U.S. Does the album The Now mark a homecoming to India, or is it an introduction for Indian music lovers to your brand of music?
The Now is a collection of songs that have come naturally to me. The sort of music I have grown up listening to. But you can be in any part of the world, and still relate to it. It is a new futuristic sound that everyone can make sense of.
How would you define the album to first-time listeners?
It is the soundtrack to your life. It's got different kind of vocals, different sounds.
A. VISHNU
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
