Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, July 31: First ever ‘Tabla Recital’ featuring eminent Tabla maestro K.L. Verma was organised here today by Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India at K.L. Sehgal Hall.
This exclusive Tabla evening programme was also marked by the honouring of yet another Tabla Maestro Rajinder Raina. Earlier the Regional Director of ICCR Jammu Balwant Thakur while welcoming the music lovers said that unfortunately in Jammu, Tabla as an instrument is seen and acknowledged as accompaniment to a musical concert and never ever the great instrumentalists of the town were showcased in a spotlight programme. Although the origin of tabla is somewhat obscure, it is generally believed that it evolved from the barrel shaped drum called Pakhawaj, this was about three hundred years ago.
ICCR Jammu is making all out efforts to recognise such individuals who have given a new identity to this great art through their hard efforts. Speaking about K.L. Verma, Balwant Thakur said that a living legend of the field, K.L. Verma started his career in music at the age of five when he started learning devotional singing under saintly personality Guru Baba Sita Ram Ji.
Later he became the Shashya (Student) of Pt. Uma Dutt Sharma. K.L. Verma and takes pride in having remained associated with world music personality Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma with whom he accompanied in various concerts and programmes and stayed with him in Mumbai for over eight years.
As Tabla player, K.L. Verma is having the distinction of accompanying great artists of India which included Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt. Naryan rao Byas, Ustad Husan Lal, Pt. Hari Gosh, Pt. Rajan Sajan Mishra, Peenaz Misani, Rajinder Mehta, Neena Mehta, Ustad Ahmed Hussain Mohmad Hussain, and Pt. Bhajan Sopuri. Retired as H.O.D of Music Department of the University of Jammu, he is has the credit of having participated in over hundreds of the programmes and concerts organised by All India Radio, Doordarshan, J&K Cultural Academy which were held across the length and breadth of the country.
The ‘Tabla Concert’ by K.L. Verma being a legendary figure was more of a Lecture demonstration series which keenly witnessed and relished by the music lovers. He started his programme with ‘Utthan’ followed by ‘Peshkaar’, ‘Kayada’, ‘Rela’, ‘Chakardaar Tukddey’ and was culminated with soulful ‘Lehkaaryain’.
Prominent among those who graced the occasion included V.K. Samyal, Director Radio Kashmir Jammu, Vachaspati , Former Principal Institute of Music and Fine Arts, Rajinder Kumar Raina, Prof. Kailash Mehra, Suraj Singh, Ravi Magotra, Prithvi Raj Sharma, Ravi Sharma and Harish Kaila.
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