Kalinath Mishra, a widely travelled tabla exponent conversant

Changing the beat

Kalinath Mishra, a widely travelled tabla exponent conversant with different currents in rhythm music, will perform a solo tabla recital at Karnataka Sangha on Sunday.
Mishra, of the Benaras gharana, has performed as accompaniment to reputed Kathak dancers such as Birju Maharaj, Uma Dogra and Keka Sinha. “This gharana of the tabla has a close association with the Kathak dance form. My guru, Kishen Maharaj, used to provide tabla accompaniment to the great Birju Maharaj and Sitara Devi,” says Mishra.
Mishra has also accompanied musicians of the stature of Hariprasad Chaurasia and Rupak Kulkarni (flute) and Kartik Kumar (sitar).

“He is not only a good tabla player but also an excellent player of the pakhavaj [two-headed drum],” says Kulkarni, whom he also sometimes accompanies on the tabla.
Sunday’s programme, organised by Khayal Trust in collaboration with Kalabharati, is in memory of the great tabla player Ustad Nizamuddin Khan, who performed in accompaniment to singers such as Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Mallikarjun Mansur, Sharadchandra Arolkar, Halim Jaffer Khan and Shobha Gurtu. “It is our duty to keep his memory alive,” says Prakash Burde of Kalabharati.
Others performing at the event include Sandeep Pawar, a young tabla player and a pupil of senior guru Arvind Mulgaonkar, and Hindustani vocalist Sraboni Chaudhury, a student of Shobha Gurtu and Dinkar Kaikini.
— Amarendra Dhaneshwar