Rising Stars: Meet Nabin Shrestha

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nabin Shrestha.

Hi Nabin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I was eight years old when I heard recordings of Tabla and was drawn to the sound without knowing what the instrument was. My brother introduced me to his childhood friend Rabin Lal Shrestha, who became my first guru and introduced me to this wonderful world of rhythm and music.

Under his guidance, I began to learn the basics of tabla playing. After high school, I was awarded a prestigious ICCR scholarship to study music in India. I moved to New Delhi and completed my master’s degree in Tabla performance with the highest rank.

During my time in India, I had the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest tabla players in the world, including Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Pandit Suresh Talwalkar. I also had the chance to perform with many of these musicians, which was an incredible experience.

I started performing in Nepal and India at a very young age and recorded multiple albums. I also taught at Tribhuvan University, one of the most prestigious universities in Nepal.

In 2007, I migrated to the United States. Since then, I have been performing with musicians from all over the world, sharing my music, teaching, and recording with musicians from all different genres. I am passionate about sharing my love of tabla with others, and I hope to inspire future generations of tabla players.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My passion for Tabla is what kept me going. It has been a hard path as a career. Making a living with music was always a challenge and it still is. It took me more than 10 years after I moved to the US before I was able to transition to a full-time musician.

The genre of music that I play is known for its complexity, and therefore few people do it. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication. It is a less popular form of music, and there are fewer opportunities, so that is one of the biggest challenges of being a musician.

Despite the challenges, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my love of tabla music with others. I am always looking for new ways to connect with audiences and inspire them with my music. I am also committed to mentoring young musicians and helping them to develop their skills.

I believe that tabla music has the power to connect people from all walks of life. It is a universal language that can transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. I am proud to be a tabla player and I am committed to sharing my music with the world.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Tabla is not just a percussion instrument. It is a language of rhythm. You can speak the language, and everything you say or play has a meaning abstractly. I have been fortunate to share this unique language and its versatility with so many musicians from all over the world.

I have been teaching tabla for more than 20 years. During this time, I have taught many students, some of whom have been learning for more than a decade. Some of my students are performing and recording artists, while others are professional musicians in other fields who are learning tabla to better themselves.

I am a classically trained tabla player, and I, therefore, play in the Eastern Classical genre. However, I am also versatile in the sense that I like to listen and play with all kinds of music. I have been fortunate enough to play with amazing jazz, blues, Celtic rock, and African, and Middle Eastern musicians.

I can blend and share this genre with all these fantastic musicians, and it is this ability that makes me unique. I feel proud and fortunate to be able to do this.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rhythmoftabla.com
• Instagram: @rhythmoftabla
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhythmoftabla
• Youtube: YouTube.com/rhythmoftabla
• Other: www.rhythmoftabla.com