Toronto Tabla Ensemble
| Toronto Tabla Ensemble | |
|---|---|
|
The Toronto Tabla Ensemble in concert | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | North Indian Classical, World |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Associated acts |
Pandit Chitresh Das Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri Evan Ritchie, Donald Quan, Jeff Martin, The Tea Party |
| Website |
www |
| Members |
Ritesh Das Razak Pirani Shamir Panchal Nivethan Velauthapillai (Apprentice) Snehan Gorain (Apprentice) |
| Past members | Santosh Naidu, Debanjan Mukherjee, Subha Dasgupta, Devin Persaud, Ed Hanley, Prasanna Ketheeswaran, Gurtej Hunjan, Morgan Doctor, Amar Seepersad, Rakesh Tewari, Anita Katakkar, Joanna de Souza, Keith Sutcliffe, Dexter Raghunanan, Neel Punna, Satpal Singh, Heather Thorkelson, Anand Kapur, Robin Kalnin, Bindhu Sadasivan, Jono Gooch, Vitra Gosine, Sara Jaffri |
The Toronto Tabla Ensemble is a school and performance group founded in 1991 by artistic director, Ritesh Das. It is the foremost institution that has produced professional tabla players in Canada. Students who have trained at the school under Das are given the opportunity to join the Toronto Tabla Youth Ensemble and Main Ensemble as apprentices. The performing ensemble has toured Canada coast-to-coast six times, toured Australia in 2006, and India in 2011. Their album, Firedance, received a nomination for the Juno Award for Best Global Album. Their original music has been used in numerous films and commercials, and in 2003 the Ensemble was commissioned to create the current theme music for CBC Radio’s daily morning show, Metro Morning.[1][2]
School of Tabla
Tabla classes at the Toronto Tabla Ensemble are taught by Ritesh Das and his senior students. All classes are taught in the traditional style allowing students to develop an understanding of tabla technique, theory, and historical background. Through Ritesh Das' lineage and vision, this North Indian rhythmic system is passed on to all students, many of whom go on to become professional musicians themselves.[3] The Toronto Tabla Ensemble has three teaching locations in downtown Toronto, Scarborough, and Mississauga.[4] Students at the school are eligible to join the Toronto Tabla Youth Ensemble and eventually the Toronto Tabla Ensemble as apprentices.
The Toronto Tabla Ensemble's school focuses on both training professional tabla players and professional artists. The six year tabla program consists of rigorous training in theoretical and practical aspects of the Hindustani classical art of tabla. The courses are overseen by academic director of the Toronto Tabla Ensemble, Ritesh Das, and require completion of yearly examinations. The exams test practical and theoretical aspects of tabla playing along with the historical and cultural background necessary to gain an understanding of the art form. Completion of the six year program ensures a comprehensive grasp of professional tabla solo and accompaniment repertoire. Graduation from the program requires the student perform an hour-long tabla solo followed by accompaniment of a featured musician or dancer of the Hindustani tradition. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the two year graduate course offered by the Toronto Tabla Ensemble in arts administration and concert presentation.
Students who complete the six year tabla program are eligible to receive two more years of training as professional artists. While continuing advanced studies in tabla under Ritesh Das, the student also focuses on obtaining skills in arts administration and arts presentation. The advanced tabla study consists of further repertoire as well as experience in teaching tabla classes, accompanying classical music and dance, and composing. The student may also have the opportunity to be guided by Pandit Chitresh Das and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. The professional portion of the course is comprehensive and includes hands on learning of arts administration, concert production, studio recording, marketing, budgeting, and grant writing. This two year course culminates with the student leading the production of a professional concert.
Indian Diaspora Festival
In 2014 the Toronto Tabla Ensemble launched an innovative festival called the Indian Diaspora Festival. It is the first festival of its kind to embrace artists of Indian traditions who have been educated entirely in the West, as opposed to India where most prominent performers have been trained.[5] The sold out festival launch featured performances in Indian music and dance forms, tabla and kathak, performed by local and international artists; the tabla player was a student of Ritesh Das trained in Toronto while the kathak dancer was a student of Das' brother Pandit Chitresh Das based in California.[6]
Discography
| Album |
|---|
Toronto Tabla Ensemble
|
Second Palla
|
Firedance
|
Weaving
|
Compilations
|
Alankar
|
References
- ↑ "CBC Metro Morning". CBC. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ↑ "Acclaimed Independent Band Exploring World Music". Washington Bangla Radio. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ↑ Jain, Priyanka. "The Toronto Tabla Ensemble Brings Music, Culture, and Diversity to our Community". Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ↑ Spencer, Jain. "New school offers traditional Indian dance and drumming". Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ↑ "What's On: Opens Streets Toronto, Cultural Fests and Axe Throwing". CBC. Retrieved 2 September 2014.
- ↑ CanIndia. "Toronto Tabla Ensemble launches innovative new festival". Retrieved 2 September 2014.