Mela
2004 in Oslo, Norway
Ustad Tari Khan (Taritabla)
Ustad Tari Khan's percussion art is a rare experience, a combination
of artistic purity, charisma, lyricism, and expressive innovation.
The work characterized by his impeccable understanding of music and
a sensitivity to artistic values, Ustad Tari Khan is considered as
one of the most accomplished exponents of tabla in the world today,
and is indeed a torchbearer of the Punjab Gharana.
When one first encounters Tari's tabla playing it is not a mere performance
but rather a musical experience which asks as much of the audience
as it does of the artist. Tari has taken tabla which was originally
thought of as an accompaniment instrument to new and dizzying heights.
Regardless, of whether he is accompanying or engaged in a solo performance
the listener is forced to come to terms with his genius. For the music
connoisseur, Tari hardly needs an introduction. He comes from the
famous Punjab Gharana and since the age of six was under the tutelage
of Ustad Mia Shaukat Hussain Khan. Coming from a lineage of musicians
it was destined that he be an accomplished musician. Tari, is however,
much more than an accomplished musician, he is a genius.
Ustad Tari Khan has performed in virtually every part of the globe,
participating in prestigious festivals and concerts, dazzling and
captivating audiences by his extraordinary versatility. Tours abroad
have taken him to all continents and almost every major city of
the world, and he enjoys a large following. A leading percussionist,
he gave a solo tabla recital at the world famous Percussive Arts
Society convention in Nashville, and performed at the Boston Conservatory
of Music. Ustad Tari Khan has received the highest acclaim for both
his accompaniment and solo performances.
An erudite musician, Ustad Tari Khan has been honored by numerous
public and private organizations both at home and abroad, and has
carved a permanent niche for himself in the world of fame. He has
been crowned with the title of "Tabla Prince of India and Pakistan"
and has been decorated with the prestigious Hazrat Ameer Khusro
Award.
By the time he was 16 Ustad Tari Khan had already made a name for
himself in the art of Ghazals around the world. Having played with
such artists as Ghulam Ali, Pervez Mehdi, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
and the great Mehdi Hassan. His tabla is in fact revolutionary in
the art of Ghazals and is a model for all ghazal tabla players today.
At the age of 16, Ustad Tari Khan began showing great creativity
in making his own items. His first original item was the "train".
In this item he used the tabla to mimic the sounds of a train. Soon
he invented his most popular item "International Kherwa".
This item showed how different parts of the world play Kherwa or
four beats, including Punjab, the Middle East, Europe, America,
and Africa.
But beyond his own creative items, Tari has mastered the art of
virtually every kind of tabla accompaniment. In ghazals he has played
with Hari Haran, Talat Aziz, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, and many
others. Since Ustad Tari Khan's Ghazal playing was derived from
his classical roots and unique style of classical playing, there
should me no doubts that Ustad Tari Khan dazzles audiences with
his classical accompaniment. Accompanying such artists as Pandit
Jasraj, Rais Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Vilyat Khan, Sultan Khan, Dr
L. Subramanium, V.G. Jog, Shaid Parvez, and many others. Ustad Tari
Khan has a great following of young generation tabla players mimicking
his classical style. He has even played the art of Qawwali, accompanying
such greats as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Badar Ali Khan and Rahat Ali
Khan.
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