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Arun Kushwah

Domain: Tabla | Indian Classical Music | Tabla teacher & performer at JNCC, Embassy of India, Moscow, Russia | Recording Artist | LIVE Concerts

Genre: #IndianClassicalMusic #Tabla #Musician 

Location: India, Russia

Journey

Attraction to music, since birth

Shri Arun Kushwah has been playing drums from the time when he was not even conscious about what he was doing with the drums. From as young as 5 years old, he would play the dholak, which was there at home, as his grandmother would play it at bhajans and family functions. When he was 6 to 7 years old, he would perfectly play the dholak in correct rhythm tempo, with the bollywood songs that played on TV.

As he grew up a little, he came to know that Tabla playing is a skill that gives you the complete knowledge about rhythm. However, has life would have it, he continued his school education, used to paint and draw a lot, while and pursued singing, in his school music team. By the time he was 13 to 14 years old, he realized his love for rhythm more than singing or fine arts.

Getting to know Tabla Legends, from internet

Arun Kushwah searched “best tabla player in the world” in Google and got to know about Ustad Zakir Hussain. He then started looking for tabla performance videos on YouTube and in one such videos where Zakir Ji was accompanying Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, where he played the higher octave Sa and normal Sa, by first playing the chaanti on Tabla and then with his finger in the open, to which people clapped.

Arun remembered that sound very intently and kept thinking about how to play that exact way. By this time, he had also bought a set of Tabla and kept trying to play that tune on Tabla.

Now, when his father would ask him what to do in life, which career path to choose, Arun Kushwah was sure he wanted to pursue Tabla as a musician, but he needed some re-assurance.

The first turning point in his life

Arun Kushwah, the young boy, was now clear about the fact that he loved rhythm and he would pursue playing tabla. So, he would often watch Ustad Zakir Hussain’s tabla playing on TV, when he didn’t know the name of the legend. Young Arun Kushwah would Google search “most popular tabla player in the world” and see Ustad Zakir Hussain’s videos.

It was this moment when Arun knew he wanted to play Tabla, as a musician.

Orientation to Tabla, Training and Advanced Taalim

Then, his father spoke with a gentleman who played Tabla, who said there was no great Guru in Ujjain at the time, and Arun should be learning Tabla from a great Guru. Arun was disheartened with this. Nevertheless, Arun read a spiritual text – Wahi hakeem aur wahi ustaad, yeh mein sunat raho un naad – and he believed he could learn Tabla, because he had the blessings of the spiritual Guru. Within 24 hours of this realization, Arun got to meet with a learned Tabla player and teacher, who was one of his father’s colleagues, named, Shri Rakesh Ghugare. On the first day itself, Arun could play some bols played by Rakesh Ji. That’s how his elementary training began when he was seventeen, and he learned basic taals, theka and complex layakari as well, for example, taal murchhana, etc. He also received guidance from his teacher Shri C. L. Shivaliya.

Gradually, Arun Kushwah started winning prizes at youth festivals, organized by AIU (https://www.aiu.ac.in/youthaffairs.php) of Higher Education department of government of India, at state level and national level Tabla competitions, where he played solo Tabla in 9.5 beats.  And, Rakesh ji now wanted Arun to take talim from great Gurus such as Pandit Yogesh Samsi, taal yogi Padmashri Pandit Suresh Talwalkar, Pandit Satyajit Talwalkar. Rakesh Ji had also talked a lot about Pt. Anindo Chatterjee and Pt. Swapan Chaudhuri’s tabla playing.

At a time when he went to accompany Nabanita Chowdhuri ji, who had come from Delhi, to perform at a SPICMACAY event in Ujjain, he met with Aseem Chowdhury Ji, who inspired him to attend a workshop to be conducted by Pt. Anindo Chatterjee at SNA, New Delhi. Arun expressed his interest to Pt. Anindo Chatterjee to take taalim from him, saying Rakesh Ji speaks highly of him. Pandit Ji immediately wanted to connect over phone, Arun connected, and Pt. Anindo Chatterjee Ji conveyed his pranaams to Rakesh Ji, saying, Rakesh Ji is the real Guru who is moulding talented souls like Arun Kushwah, because PanditJi is an avid performer and doesn’t find time to teach enough students. Finally, Pandit Ji agreed to train him and Rakesh Ji also inspired Arun to start his advanced taalim, in the aura of a learned Guru like BangaBibhushan taal rishi Pandit Anindo Chatterjee. It is noteworthy to mention that Shri Anandaroop Bhattacharya guided him with the SNA workshop and also helped him to travel and meet with Pandit Anindo Chatterjee in Kolkata.

Then, one day, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee sent him a message and asked him to talk to Shri Biplab Mukherjee (Madan dada), to come for the first ever Ganda Bandhan ceremony, as Panditji had decided to make Arun as one of his Ganda Bandhan disciples. ‘Ganda bandhan’, or the sacred thread ceremony, is the formal induction of a student into the traditional guru shishya parampara of Indian Classical Music. In this first Ganda Bandhan ceremony, other young disciplies, namely, Anubrata Chatterjee, Rupak Bhattacharya, Sandip Ghosh, Ravi Venugopalan, Kazuto (from Japan) and others, also received the blessings, and the ceremony was conducted in the same tradition that has been passed on, from gharana of the great Guru Pandit Jnan Prakash Ghosh, of  Pandit Anindo Chatterjee.

Commercial Projects and Credible Recognition

During his formative years of professional performances, Arun Khushwah performed at Shravan Mahotsav, to accompany a Kathak dance artist. Gradually Shri Harish Potdar and Smt. Padmaja Raghuvanshi helped Arun get many opportunities that propelled him to excel as a professional tabla player in his early days of playing tabla, professionally. Gradually, he also played solo Tabla, and accompanying instrumental and vocal artists from india and abroad, as well.

Highlights of his performances at national and international levels are mentioned below:

  1. Attended workshops conducted by Padmashri Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, Shri Satyajit Talwalkar, Shri Mayank Bedekar, Pt. Anindo Chatterjee
  2. Attended training session of and accompanied Padmashri MBE Pt. Pratap Pawar, at a Kathak dance workshop in Ujjain, in 2014
  3. Accompanied Kathak exponent Vidushi Vidyahari Deshpande, disciple of Pt. Birju Maharaj and Pt. Suresh Talwalkar, in 2015
  4. Accompanied dance artist Shri Vishal Krishna of Banaras gharana at his workshop and performance, in 2017
  5. Accompanied senior dance exponent Pt. Rajendra Gangani of Jaipur gharana, at Kathak Mahotsav 2018
  6. Accompanied Arvind Kumar Azad from Pune, in Ujjain, in 2020
  7. Accompanied Kathak dancer Dheerendra Tiwary
  8. Accompanied Sanjeev Gangani at his workshop

Awards and presentations at some of India’s prestigious platforms:

  1. INSPIRE award, 2013
  2. Pavas Parv, 2014
  3. Shravan Mahotsav, Ujjain, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022
  4. Akhil Bharatiya Kalidas Samaroh, Ujjain, 2015, 2016, 2019
  5. Maunibaba Janmotsav Samaroh, 2015
  6. Jagannath Ratha Yatra Mahotsav, 2015, 2016
  7. Kakatya Festival Warangal, Andhra Pradesh, 2013
  8. Uma-Jhansi Mahotsav, Ujjain, 2015, 2016
  9. Mangal Murti Mahotsav, 2016, 2018
  10. Pratibha Khoj Rajyotsav, 2016
  11. Bharat Parv, 2016
  12. Singhasth Kala Utsav, 2016
  13. SIDDHA, 2017
  14. Shaiv Mahotsav, Ujjain, 2018
  15. Triveni Sangrahalay Varshgaanth Samaroh, 2018
  16. Swaranjali, Udaipur, 2019
  17. Kinkini Kirtan Rashtriya Nrityotsav, 2018, 2019, 2022
  18. Taal Prayaas, ICCR, Bhopal
  19. Thumri Samaroh, Devas, 2022
  20. Vishwa Yog Sangeet Diwas, 2023
  21. Kathak Yatra, Bhopal, 2023
  22. Meera Mahotsav, Chittorgarh, 2023
  23. Govardhan Puja Annakoot Mahotsav, Ganga Ghat, 2023
  24. Praktya Parva, Panna, 2023
  25. Amrit Mahotsav Ayodhya, 2024
  26. Ram Mandir Praan Pra tishtha, Samaroh, Ayodhya, 2024
  27. Anaadi Parv, Ujjain, 2024
  28. Lokotsav, 2024

Professional pursuits with humility and dedication

Since 2017, Arun Kushwah has been regularly engaged in recording projects accompanying eminent artists for national and international programmes broadcast from Akashvaani Kendra, Indore, Doordarshan Kendra, Indore, and Doordarshan Kendra – Bhopal, New Delhi, Lucknow.

Some of his achievements are highlighted below:

  • 1st position in tabla solo, Divisional-level youth festival, 2013
  • 1st position in classical tabla solo under percussion category, Divisional-level youth festival, 2014, 2015
  • 1st position in tabla solo, Divisional-level youth festival, organized by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, 2014, 2016
  • 1st position in tabla solo, State-level youth festival, organized by Department of Higher Education, 2018
  • Won SILVER medal at National level tabla competition organized by Association of Indian Universities (A.I.U.)
  • KALA SAMMAN award from Pratibha Sangeet Kala Sansthan, a leading dance institution in Ujjain, at its event – Navonmesh, 2018
  • Accompanied senior dance exponent Pt. Rajendra Gangani of Jaipur gharana, at Kathak Mahotsav 2018
  • Accompanied GRAMMY awardee flautist Pt. Ajay Shankar Prasanna at Shravan Mahotsav, 2019
  • Invited as an instructor by government music college – Shaskiya Sangeet Mahavidyalaya, Mandsaur, where he conducted tabla workshop on traditional bandishes as well as gharana specific techniques

Alongside an illustrious training and professional experience in the performing arts of tabla, Arun Kushwah also completed his conventional education and graduated, with:

  • B.A. in Fine Arts from Vikram University, Ujjain
  • Vid Final Year (Diploma in tabla) from Government Madhav Music College, Ujjain
  • M.A. in Tabla from Government Madhav Music College, Ujjain

In his sincere pursuit of the rich arts, he is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Music, from Vikram University. And, in order to continue his recording projects, he has also designed a 10.5 by 21 ft. studio at home, which is equipped with modern technology, and is functional to host LIVE recordings and concerts by many musicians under one roof. His esteemed association with International Indian Culture and Arts inspires young learners of cultural arts to pursue professional career paths with devotion towards Gurus, and sincerity towards the larger community of Indian culture and arts.

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