Biography of alla rakha

He was fascinated with the sound of tabla since the age of 12, when he was staying with his uncle at Gurdaspur. The determined young lad ran away from house and became a disciple of Mian Qader Baksh of the Punjab Gharana, who initiated him into the world of music. His regimen of practice and dedication were the stuff of legend: hours upon hours of hard, disciplined practice cultivating his skills would eventually pay off.

He started his musical career as an accompanist in Lahore and then as an All India Radio staffer in Mumbai in Soon after he would compose music for a couple of Hindi films from The Ustad popularized the art of tabla playing all over the globe, elevating the status and respect of his instrument.

Alla rakha father

Abbaji as he was affectionately known also bridged the gap between Carnatic music and Hindustani music by performing with both reknowned Carnatic musicians as well as other Hindustani stalwarts. He once said in an interview that when he played outside India, his aim was to teach the Western world about the beauty of Indian music. When asked to say a few words at his 80th birthday celebrations last year, he played the tabla instead.

Ustad Alla Rakha was honoured on his 95th birthday April 29th by search giant Google with a classy doodle. The doodle depicts Ustad Alla Rakha tapping the tabla with a smile on his lips.