I'd like to spend some time learning tabla in the south of India. I wondered if anyone knew of a good teacher who lived in a coastal location somewhere south. Any information is appreciated.
Obviously the south is not the premium location for learning tabla but I'm hoping that there may be some relocated experts!
Thanks
Marc Clayton
http://www.marcclayton.net
I'm from Kerala (the southern most tip) and took lessons there few months back
while visiting family. In the south tabla is used more for folk/filmy songs than for classical music. If you are interested in staying in Trivandrum (a beautful coastal town) and have lessons there, drop your email and I will give information on the teacher I took lessons
with. He was defintely a good teacher.
If you're going to be in Madras - try visiting Saptaswara Musicals (easy to find with Google). There is a local music school there - tho I have misplaced their info. The folks at Saptaswara will be able to point you in the right direction. While it's true that Carnatic music tends to utilize a lot mridungam, naal and tavil. there is a thriving culture of classical music played in the North Indian style. It's a well touted fact (and a matter of pride), that while North Indian players only play in North Indian style, many South Indian players are conversant in both styles. Another Madrassi place you could check would be Charsur Digital Work Station. It's a label that records many wonderful musicians. The head engineer there is a great guy and would likely be able to hook you up with a teacher from their huge stable of classical players. Every tabla player no matter how famous, takes students. Charsur is easy to find on the web. Good luck.
