The mythology of rhythm
Legend has it that Lord Shiva was once found dancing haphazardly - either in gay abandon or in wrathful fury. Lord Bramha was worried that Shiva’s unregulated dancing might disturb the established order in the universe. Bramha therefore summoned Lord Vishwakarma to fashion a drum Mrudanga (Mrud=clay, Anga=body), and ordered Lord Ganesha to start beating it to discipline Shiva’s erratic footwork. The universe was thus restored to its equilibrium.
The Hindu notion of time is cyclical because the rotation of the planets around the sun constitutes and governs order in the universe. This notion is represented in the recurring play-out of a well-defined cadence composed of equidistant impacts (Tala). In his 13th century treatise, Sharngadeva defines rhythm as the foundational law of nature and the essential basis of all musical arts. The etymology of the word “Tala” confirms this perspective. According to the Sanskrit scholar, Nityanand Mishra, the word “Tala” is derived from the Sanskrit “Tal” = foundation/base. Tala is the foundation on which music and dance are established.
The Tabla owes its evolution to this concept of the original Mrudanga, as the imposer of temporal organization, structure and discipline on music and dance. To this day, Tabla and Mrudanga/ Pakhawaj players regard Lord Ganesha as the originator of their art/craft, and the custodian of their mandate.
The cultural anthropology of Tala
On the issue of which came first – rhythm or melody – it is widely accepted that rhythm emerged first. Evidence comes from early primitive music. Primitive man created rhythmic sounds (clapping, foot-slapping, drumming) as a method of communication, signalling danger, or as community bonding, long before he developed the ability to produce, control, and structure vocal pitches into a coherent melody. Rhythmic, repetitive, percussive sounds were used to create a "battle trance" for defence or to coordinate group activities. Their stimulant/arousing value stems from their neuro-acoustic connection to biological pulses like the heartbeat, and breathing. Through the discovery of pleasure giving rhythmic patterns, man isolated "musical rhythm" from its origins in “communicating rhythm”. “Musical Rhythm”, thus identified, became relatable even when isolated from an identifiable pitch or accompanying melodic pattern.
Implicit in this "relatability" is a caveat – the “musicality” or aesthetic value of a particular rhythmic pattern will tend to vary from culture to culture. This is because each culture represents a distinct rhythm of life in all its manifestations, including those outside of what we call music. The “musicality” of rhythm is conditioned by a culture-specific receptivity. The generalized/ primitive notion of rhythm as a universal language is, therefore, irrelevant in the present context. Hence the reference to the Hindu notion of time as being cyclical and Prof. SK Saxena’s profound description of Tala as the “recalibration of geophysical time as aesthetic time”.
A Tabla solo is not primitive in any respect. It is the Hindu notion of Musical Rhythm/ Aesthetic Time elevated to the highest level of sophistication over millennia of continuous practice and scholarship. Its “musicality”, especially when isolated from its role as accompaniment, demands a level of cultivation that the notion of universal appeal cannot entirely support.
The evolutionary path
We may hypothesize the evolution of the Tabla solo as a performance genre against this backdrop. In the first phase, percussion/ rhythmic accompaniment acted as a frame, imposing a sense of orderliness/ structure on music composition and performance. This may be regarded as the “regulatory” phase of its evolution.
In the second phase, the Tabla began to enhance the totality of a musical experience by embellishments supportive of the primary performer. This may be called the “participative” phase of its evolution. This phase evolved when, instrumental music began its ascendency over vocal music. Amongst instruments, the plucked/percussive instruments like the Sitar, Sarod, Hawaiian Guitar, and the Santoor gained the most from a pro-active participation of Tabla accompanists. Plucking or percussive impact on the strings creates rhythmic patterns, inviting/ encouraging rhythmic accompanists to offer matching/ complementary cues/responses. The technology of sound-activation on the instruments encouraged percussion accompaniment to become a partner, and facilitated the rise of Tabla players as music-makers in their own right.
Being fundamentally an accompaniment art, the Tabla art became progressively more engaging by having to accompany a large variety of primary musicians playing different instruments, and vocalists of different backgrounds, each pursuing a different style. We have seen this evolutionary pattern also in the Sarangi – an evolution which partially resembles the Tabla’s journey. The third phase (Authoritative/ Solo) of the Tabla’s evolution, therefore, emerged because its share of the musical space had already expanded substantially in the earlier phase as an accompanist.
This expansion expectedly made the Tabla art more remunerative and began to attract a larger inflow of talent to it. The demand for Tabla Guru-s grew. The most authoritative and learned amongst Tabla artists could devote themselves to tutoring younger aspirants, and become soloists. This can explain the emergence of Ustad Ahmed Jan Thirakwa and Ustad Ameer Hussain Khan, as the “Gods of Tabla” in the early 20th century.
Historically, the Tabla may now have entered its “Fourth Phase” of evolution – its involvement with trans-cultural orchestral presentations. Zakir Hussain’s versatility probably launched this phase of evolution. This is also relevant because Zakir’s cult-like following may owe itself to his excellence in the 2nd, 3rd, as well as 4th manifestations of the Tabla’s presence.
It is tempting to see in this evolution the contribution of sound-engineering and recording technologies, which enabled the distinct capture and delivery of each component of a musical endeavour. The contemporary Tabla maestro and historian, Aneesh Pradhan avers that, such an impression would be wrong. In his incisive email to me dated March 3, 2026, he points out:
“The fact that Tabla solo recitals were being held even before the establishment of the recording industry is demonstrated through oral history sources and through the repertoire that was specifically developed for solo recitals from the second half the 18th century. Evidently, this material was used as a pedagogical tool to equip the Tabla player with a wide variety of vocabulary and musical material that could be harnessed for accompanying vocal and instrumental music, and dance…. But, then, the audience for Hindustani music concerts was always limited until the time that festivals like Swami Haridas Sammelan took over.”
The Tabla art, having adapted and refined the ancient/ mediaeval Pakhawaj idiom, has been cultivated and disseminated by learned Gurus for over 200 years. Understandably, however, Tabla solo performances did not command an audience on a significant scale in pre-amplification and pre-recording era. The music eco-system of that era, as Pradhan points out, did allow stalwarts to choose parallel lives as accompanists and teachers, or to abandon accompaniment and focus on teaching. This, he observes, is true even of our times.
What is a Tabla solo?
A Tabla solo recital is an elaborate and comprehensive presentation of a Tala, through specifically structured movements, sequenced logically. Its presentation progresses from low beat-density to progressively higher beat-densities, from sparse phrasing to dense phrasing, and from the simple patterns to more complex patterns. In its structural intent, it is no different from a Khayal or Sitar/Sarod rendition of a Raga. Like a Raga, a Tala is a language, shaped by standard phonemes, syllables, vocabulary, phrasing patterns, and syntax. The only difference between the two is that a Tala solo presentation is almost entirely pre-composed, while a Raga presentation is substantially improvised.
A Tala-presentation and a Raga-rendition are literary manifestations of two distinct languages, though designed to function in unison. A language, by definition, addresses those who know and understand the language. A shared language defines a specific community, and discourages/ excludes casual intruders.
The context in which the Tabla language has evolved suggests that the Solo protocol originated as a pedagogical structure for training aspirants and provide them with a large inventory of refined tools for accompaniment to vocal/ instrumental music. Further evidence of this is the Tabla solo’s unique feature --- a public utterance/articulation (Padhant) of the syllables of the Tabla idiom that constitute a particular composition/movement. This feature can represent value only to students of the Tabla. As such, a Tabla solo cannot be considered an entertaining genre for uninitiated audiences. Its eligible audience consists only of professional and aspiring Tabla players, for whom it is an education and also a delight. What, then, might explain the popularity of the Tabla solo beyond the eligible audience?
Rhythm in the melody
Part of the answer may lie in the growing musical interaction between percussionists and instrumentalists/vocalists. Evidence of this is sketchy, but significant. Significantly, the “Tihai”, a titillating melodic-rhythmic device, emerged as a prominent feature in the music of the plucked/ struck instruments in the Sitar/ Sarod/ Santoor/ Hawaiian guitar idiom from the 1950s. In addition, several movements appearing in contemporary Sitar/Sarod Raga-presentation today mimic standard movements of the Tabla idiom (e.g. Peshkar and Qayda). According to oral and documented history, instrumentalists (and even vocalists) groomed in pre-independence India were routinely trained on the Pakhawaj/Tabla during their apprenticeship. Most interesting is the case of Pt. Shivkumar Sharma. He had achieved national stature as a Tabla player before he transferred his affections to the Santoor. Unique is the case of Pt. Jasraj, a professional Tabla player in his youth, who reportedly decided one day that he would be happier singing.
The post-independence story of the convergence is different. Barring very few exceptions, the leading vocalists/instrumentalists of the post-independence generation do not have an intimate understanding of the Tabla idiom. The reason is simple; a command over two distinct idioms, is unnecessary for instrumentalists/ vocalists. The ability to comply with Tala discipline, and a judicious infusion of the Tabla idiom into a performance is adequate for instrumentalists and vocalists for engaging audiences. If this so, it is reasonable to ask -- Is the average music-lover, or even a connoisseur, competent to understand and appreciate a Tabla solo performance?
The audience for Tabla solo
For the quantitative evaluation of Tabla solo audiences, I have accessed YouTube viewership data for two distinct samples. (a) a sample of significant Tabla solo exponents and (b) a sample of instrumental and vocal music recordings of significant vocalists and instrumentalists, where the Tabla functions as an accompanying instrument. Across all samples, I have used the “Audience Engagement Factor” as the measure. This measure is derived as (Total viewership reported online as on the day of audit divided by the number of years for which the upload has been exposed to public viewing. In my earlier writings, I have discussed at length the limitations of this measure, and also defended it as the only feasible interpretation of YouTube data available in the public domain. Details of the two samples are appended.
The first question I asked the data is: Who are the engaging Tabla solo exponents followed/ studied today? The AEF measures for every considered percussionist need not be revealed because we are interested in their historical/ generational significance. They are therefore plotted by the year of their birth. (See chart).
Statistical correlations run separately for the two scenarios support this inference. The trendline excluding Zakir and Tari is statistically stronger than the one that includes them. The comparison also suggests that the Tabla as a solo instrument received a reasonable dose of adrenalin about a decade before the arrival of Zakir and Tari on the platform. This decade-long gap between the base years may reflect the legacy of some maestros of the pre-independence generation, still valued by present-day audiences. Historian Pradhan confirms that, before Zakir’s arrival, major music festivals had already featured Tabla solo performances by exponents of the previous generation like Ustad Alla Rakha, Pt. Samta Prasad, and Pt. Kishan Maharaj, and Tabla solo recordings had also begun to appear in the commercial recordings market. (see table).
The size of the Tabla solo audience
This issue cannot be addressed in absolute numbers; but it may be addressed in juxtaposition against the viewership for Hindustani classical music in its totality, in which the Tabla participates as a mandatory accompanist. For benchmarking the totality of the Hindustani music performance universe, I randomly selected and aggregated the AEFs for the most significant vocalists and instrumentalists of the 20th and early 21st centuries with equal representation. The list of musicians sampled is appended. (See Table):
If we include Zakir and Tari in the computation, the audience for Tabla solo renditions could be about 15% of the total audience for Hindustani classical music. But, if we omit the two from the computation, the proportion shrinks to about 6%. Is it possible that this “base figure” of 6% represents the audience of Tabla professionals and aspirants, thus confirming the character of the Tabla solo as, primarily, a pedagogical demonstration? If so, Zakir and Tari appear to have been formidable (virtual/online) Guru-s, besides being immensely engaging performers. They could have significantly influenced the style and manner in which their younger cohorts engage audiences. But, as suggested by earlier analysis, their contribution to bolstering the genre’s fortunes may be debatable.
“Gods of Tabla”
After crowning Ahmed Jan Thirakwa (born: approx.1892) as the “God of Tabla”, the community of Tabla professionals seems willing to revive the title for Zakir Hussain (born: 1951). The interval of about 60 years between their births is interesting. According to social science theorists, landmark personalities and radical changes can be expected to surface at intervals of about 60 years (or two generations), with 30 years defining a generation. I have dealt at length with this issue in my earlier writings on aesthetic obsolescence and paradigm shifts. (Refer: The Musician and His Art, DK Printworld, New Delhi, 2019).
In his epic work, “Man and Crisis”, the influential Spanish thinker, Jose Ortega Y Gassett, defines a generation as a “Community of date and space”, which signifies the sharing of an essential destiny.
“A generation is an integrated manner of existence or, if you prefer, a fashion of living, which fixes itself indelibly on the individual… The concept of age is not the stuff of mathematics, but of life. Age, then, is not a date, but a zone of dates”.
This forms the basis of his division of individual life-spans into distinct phases of interaction with the world, and of history as the “dynamic system of attractions and repulsions, of agreements and controversy” between the various co-existing generations. The sum total of Ortega’s argument is: The 30-year period between 30 and 60 is the historically most significant period in the life of each generation. Hence, a period of 30 years can be considered as constituting a generation. This seems reasonable because, by the age of 30, a person has almost certainly become a parent. According to him, historic (paradigmatic) changes can be expected to surface approximately every 60 years, because the conditions governing the lives of the grand-child generation have nothing in common with those governing the grand-parent generation. Economists, looking at the cyclicity of economic activity from various angles, have come to broadly similar conclusions.
Amongst reputed formulations of economic cycles, the Nikolai Kondratieff formulation (1925) is considered the most authoritative because of its multi-dimensional perspective and statistical validation. It seems also the most appealing from the cultural angle. His formulation is based on a comprehensive analysis of global economic, demographic, monetary, technological and political factors between 1790 and 1920. Kondratieff estimated an expansion-contraction economic cycle of 50-60 years.
It is clear that the entire music eco-system had evolved to pave the way for emergence of the phenomenon called Zakir Hussain. That Zakir was born about 60 years after the last “God of Tabla” could also be a design of destiny. This observation takes away nothing from his well-earned stature. A God, after all, is a God in any era.
End of essay
© Deepak S. Raja. February 2026. Written March 5, 2026
YouTube data as on February 1, 2026
Acknowledgements: The author acknowledges, with gratitude, Dr. Aneesh Pradhan's comments and suggestions on the draft of this essay.
Sample notes:
This essay is based on the study of YouTube uploads of two categories of samples – a study sample, and a benchmarking sample. The study sample is listed against each Tabla exponent’s name. In the benchmarking sample, three randomly selected recordings of orthodox classical music by the named musician were selected for audit.
