Interview with Tabla Maestro Sandeep Das - New Delhi, 2011

This interview with tabla maestro Sandeep Das was recorded in 2011 at the artiste's residence in New Delhi. It covers Sandeep's early musical memories in Patna, his learning with the charismatic tabla maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj, his journey as a professional musician in India and abroad, and his pioneering work with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble.
Sandeep Das (b. 1971) is an Indian tabla artiste, composer, and teacher. He was twice nominated for the Grammy award in 2005 & 2009. Born into a family that nurtured his talent for percussion, Sandeep Das went on to become one of the favorite disciples of the legendary tabla maestro Pandit Kishan Maharaj. Sandeep’s debut at the age of 16 was with the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar. Today, Sandeep is considered one of the leading tabla players of India. His concerts have taken him to major centers of music around the globe, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Royce Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Hollywood Bowl and the Petronas Tower Hall in Malaysia. Sandeep has composed for and performed internationally with the Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma since the group’s founding in 2000. With the Ensemble, he performed at the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York in 2008, played the BBC Proms in 2004 and 2009, and is the only Indian artist to have performed for the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympic Games in Shanghai.
For more about the artiste, visit: www.SandeepDas.com
Interview by Sudev J Sheth - www.SudevSheth.com