Ojas Adhiya

Percussion Tabla

3 minute read

Ojas Adhiya combines extraordinary technical aptitude with a vast knowledge base, playing with a fluency that belies his years. Born in a small Maharashtra village, he was drawn to the tabla from infancy, experimenting with the instrument at the age of two. He taught himself the 8-beat keherwa taal soon afterwards, shocking his father when he first overheard him.

Soon after he was listed in the Limca Book of Records as India’s youngest tabla artist, having debuted at the age of four. He began to accompany his parents, spiritual gurus, in their ceremonies, and aged five the family moved to Mumbai so he could study classical tabla with Shri Mridangraj of the Ajrada gharana. During his time as a student he also delved into jazz, ghazal, and Carnatic rhythm, and advises young artists to play everything they hear.

He combines exuberance with restraint, citing the influence of modern stars such as Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Pandit Kumar Bose, and Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. Today he accompanies top Hindustani artists – including Ustad Shahid Parvez at Darbar Festival 2018 – and is firmly establishing himself as an exciting solo performer.

“You shouldn’t be conscious when you accompany. If you’re conscious you’re losing that moment – Indian classical music is all about spontaneous creativity, which is happening then and there.”

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Ustad Shahid Parvez & Ojas Adhiya | Raag Yaman

Recorded at Darbar Festival on Sun 28 Oct 2018, at London’s Barbican Centre. Musicians: - Ustad Shahid Parvez (sitar) - Ojas Adhiya (tabla) Raag Yaman; Thaat: Kalyan; Samay: Evening Ustad Shahid Parvez showcases some fascinating rhythmic-melodic interplay (‘layakari’), stretching and compressing Yaman’s melodies over the 16-beat tintal cycle. Learn more about the music: Musically, Shahid Parvez Khan does not compromise. He is totally dedicated to the sitar, upholding the illustrious traditions of his ancestors while expanding the instrument’s technical boundaries. Critics back in India have described him as ‘Indian music personified’. Born into the legendary Imdadkhani gharana of Uttar Pradesh, he was always expected to carry the family legacy forward. His ancestors gave shape to the modern sitar, redesigning it and formulating the now-distinctive gayaki ang [singing style]. The Khan family includes pioneers such as his uncle Vilayat and his grandfather Imdad, who in 1904 became the first recorded sitarist. His early training was famously demanding. He had to practice for the majority of his waking life, rarely playing outside or socialising with his peers. His father Aziz did not believe in praise, and avoided smiling at his son’s accomplishments despite widespread acclaim as a prodigy. For many the extreme discipline may have poisoned the music, but not for Shahid, who says “my involvement in music is so much that I do not think of anything else... I do not believe I can live a better life.” Today he sits at the pinnacle of Hindustani music, touring widely while also finding time to teach at his eponymous SPK Academy in Arizona (“I do not teach for money - it is my passion”). Ojas Adhiya combines extraordinary technical aptitude with a vast knowledge base, playing with a fluency that belies his years. Born in a small Maharashtra village, he was drawn to the tabla from infancy, experimenting with the instrument at the age of two. He taught himself keherwa taal soon afterwards, shocking his father when he first overheard him. Here they play a madhya laya gat in Teental [medium tempo 16-beats] in Raag Yaman. Subscribe to the Darbar Player to access the full, uncut performance.