Abhiman Kaushal

At a young age, Abhiman Kaushal was indoctrinated into the world of Tabla by his father, R.B. Kaushal, himself a disciple of the legendary Ustad Amir Hussain Khan. While living in the city of Hyderabad, India, Abhiman Kaushal furthered his studies with both Ustad Sheikh Dawood and Pandit B. Nandkumar. As a result of these studies, Abhiman Kaushal is today considered to be one of the leading proponents of the Farukkabad, Lucknow, and Ajrara schools of Tabla. Throughout the continued development of his accomplished career, Abhiman Kaushal has performed with a veritable "who's who" of leading Indian musicians, including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt Jasraj, Ustad Rais Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Pt. Viswa Mohan Bhatt, Ustad Shujaat Khan, and Smt. Lakshmi Shankar. Of particular note is Kaushal's extended stint with Pt. Ravi Shankar. Kaushal recorded three albums with Pt. Ravi Shankar and toured extensively with the master throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. As he is open to diverse collaborations, Kaushal has also performed with French flautist Jean-Pierre Ramphal, the Mexican Symphony Orchestra, gamelan maestro I Nyoman Wenten, Mali-jazzer Cheick Tidiane Seck, and the late bandleader/percussionist Tito Puente. Aesthetically speaking, Abhiman Kaushal is renowned for the vivid tone he elicits from the tabla, his articulate performances, and command of both traditional and progressive rhythmic compositions. His talents and achievements have led him to become Director of Tabla at UCLA's Ethnomusicology Department, where he trains a large and diverse student body. ~ John Vallier