Across forty years, Bobby Singh has created and composed different styles of rhythm aesthetic – from drum and bass with The Bird, to Western classical with Slava Grigoryan, to blues and roots with John Butler and Jeff Lang – and has seen many album releases like ABC’s Visions of Nar, and Kapture with Sandy Evans.
Collaborating with some of the most prominent musicians from Australia and India, he has become a trailblazer in cross-cultural artistry, and an Indian-Australian icon.
As a first gen percussionist who decided to become a tabla player, where did the journey begin?
As the son of a Sikh priest, I grew up listening to the music of Raagis and the powerful dhrupad dhamar beats of the Pakhawaj, creating a deep, resonant percussive aesthetic in me. By age eleven, I became enamoured by maestros like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Zakir Hussain. I learnt in Mumbai, honing the Nikhil Ghosh style. By sixteen, in Australia, I was accompanying visiting and resident Hindustani musicians. Pandit Ashok Roy, a disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and his senior student, now renowned Australian sarodiya Adrian McNiel provided the fertile ground for further engagement, profoundly shaping my musical identity.
What are the unforgettable milestones that have left a lasting impression?
Meeting Ustad Zakir Hussain in my early twenties. Awestruck and nervous, I was hesitant when he asked me to play for him. Sensing this, he said, “I’ve heard the best in my life; nothing will surprise me. Just play.” His words encouraged me, and I played. It was a profoundly humbling moment. He remarked later, “You’re the only one playing tabla as an accompanist in Australia. Play as a service to the music, and the music will give all back to you”. Bobby Singh
Your favourite compositions?
My best compositions are the impromptu moments when as musicians we ‘zone out’. There are some created with eminent musicians like Pandit Ashok Roy (sarod), Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Indian guitar), Karaikudi Mani (South Indian percussion ensemble) and more recently with Joseph Tawadros (Egyptian oud). In 2008, when Mamadou Diabate, Jeff Lang and I met, the organic progression of our playing led to Djan Djan in one sitting. Whilst world music is no longer a term being used, as in 2008, this combination of universal sounds of the African kora, guitar and tabla remains novel and new to this day.
Future of tabla in Australia?
Fateful as Ustad Zakir Hussain’s words were, I was fortunate to make music with cultural icons like Grammy award winner Pt Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, John Butler, Slava Grigoryan. I was well on my way to playing for and with musicians from different cultures and genres. I grappled with the tension between honouring tradition and embracing the need to diversify – until my mentors reassured me that this path was a natural evolution of my self-expression and the artform itself. I would be the only tabla artist to win the ARIA awards for Djan Djan – instrumental recordings/ABC in 2010, with African artist Mamadou Diabate (Malian musician who plays the kora) and guitarist Jeff Lang. I feel that the future of tabla has forever been opened to all genres in Australia and the world.
What challenges have you faced in performing arts spaces?
Cutting the ‘noise’. Demanding the respect the music and artform deserve. This continues to remain the challenge. It is time that funding bodies understand the need to create ‘the right ambience’. Requests that I play in the background, while celebrities mingle and drink, for ex, feels like my tapasya of years means nothing to them. It is dismissive and disrespectful. For me, creating music up close feels like a connection to divinity. It deserves its due respect and reverence. Bobby Singh
What advice would you give to young tabla players in Australia?
To all young aspiring tabla players, finding a mentor and guru, and the connection to India, is imperative. My mentor and guru has been the acclaimed tabla player Aneesh Pradhan. Creative ventures and connections formed with and through associations, have helped my adventures with various musicians in both the Hindustani and other genres across the world.
Tell us about projects in the pipeline.
There’s a new album in the making which will be released under my own label. It includes an array of eminent musicians showcasing an eclectic combination of instruments and musicality. I’m excited about this – the music has been scored and composed by my guru Aneesh Pradhan. I cannot say much more about this now. Watch this space.
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