The main highlights of the Guru Poornima concert in Ahmedabad by Rhythm Riders were performances by two professional tabla ensembles, composed by Pandit Divyang Vakil.

The first was a preview performance of his newest work - Ardha Taal Chakravyuha.  As the name indicates, Ardha Taal Chakravyuha is a technical and artistic masterpiece that only few can attempt to play.   A purely classical composition, it is set in half beat cycles, growing one beat at a time from a taal of 2.5 beats to 15.5 beats.   From the taals itself to the individual composition, each part of the performance has been created by Pandit Divyang Vakil.   The group of five tabla players performed three taals and at one point even had the audience counting the cycle of 5.5 beats with them.   Without a doubt, all those in attendance are waiting for the group’s full performance.

On July 25, 2010, despite the heavy rainfall, hundreds of Amdavadis gathered to be apart of the largest music Guru Poornima celebrations in Gujarat. While nature sent down its droplets of water outside, inside the auditorium, there was downpour of rhythm. The audience witnessed how talent has been cultivated in India and abroad under the tutelage of Tabla Guru Pandit Divyang Vakil and his music institute Rhythm Riders.

Here is part 1 of a review of the performances:

The first to take the stage was Shaurya, who we have written about before.  This young boy who played with a confidence beyond his age and mere three years of training.  His love for tabla was clear in performance.

Following Shaurya, was another student of three years – Heena Patel.   Born and raised abroad, Heena gave up a career in engineering for a dream to be Canada’a first professional female classical tabla player.   She performed a difficult solo with charisma, displaying her potential and ability to be considered in a male-dominated field.

For several days after the large Guru poornima concert, intimate baithak style concerts are held where everyone from beginners to professional artists display their musical prowess. The seniors play full length solos, while many of the young students get their first taste of performing. It can be daunting to perform in front of a room full of tabla players, but as American disciple Brian Knutzel shares “I've never experienced such a warm crowd of musicians."

Last year we got a chance to hear some pure gharanedar solos. At Rhythm Riders, tabla players are trained in three gharanas: Ajrada, Delhi and Punjab (the gharanas that Guruji formally learned) as well as learning some of countless composition by Pandit Divyang Vakil himself. To highlight the differences between each style, some of the professional tabla players performed solos comprised only of bols from one particular style.