DRUMMING HIS WAY TO GLORY!

LUCKNOW BOY REPRESENTS INDIA AT FIRST MALAYSIA PERCUSSION FESTIVAL

Lucknow’s drummer and percussionist Tanmay Mukherjee will be collaborating with 11 other international artists at the three-day Malaysia Percussion Festival to be held in Kuala Lampur from Friday (June 16). Musicians from around the globe will gather under a roof to explore and make music together.

The 29-year-old solo performer, who has been drumming since the age of seven, has performed with Shankar Mahadevan, Bappi Lehri, Shaan, Kailash Kher and Amit Mishra. He has also shared the stage with the Finnish alternative rock band ‘Poets of the Fall’. HT City spoke to the musician, who is in Singapore, on phone. Excerpts: I have prepared an IndoFusion style that speaks out my music and my identity. It is exciting to perform with the top percussionists from across the globe. After my concert in Malaysia, I will bring up some extra new concepts, which have not yet been done before by any drummer.

Ever since I was a child, I believed that I had this God gift to play rhythms. I am a Bengali and music runs in our blood. My father encouraged me to learn Indian classical music but my focus was rhythmic instruments. I did my ‘visharad’ in violin but drums and percussions became my forte as beats have always fascinated me. My inclination for playing got recognised at inter-school competition ‘Crossroads’ held at St Francis College. Representing my school, I won the competition 5 times and since then my journey begun. I have always been inspired by self-dependent percussionists and drummers like Sivamani, Trilok Gurtu and Taufik Qureshi. From an international level, Tony Royster and Dennis Chamber have been my inspiration to become a solo live performer. India is a place of versatility. Besides percussion, I play keyboard, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, violin, mouth organ and also give backing vocals.

For being a successful percussionist, one should have a variety of all genres. India has scope but one must be very versatile and must have knowledge of all kinds of music happening here!

With my band Trishna, I was a part of TV reality show Idea Rocks India. Amit Mishra (Bulleya singer) was then a part of our band. Being the only drummer to be selected to represent Uttar Pradesh, I got a chance to play with some big names in the Indian film industry. Recently, our band reached the grand finale of India’s Got Talent. Gradually, I got inclined towards international shows.

I aim to be an independent artist and a solo performer, so that I can bring the music level of my city up. I started something new which has not been performed yet by anyone in UP. This includes water drums and fire sticks which gives crowd an authentic and mesmerizing visual look. I like changes and experiments, which fascinates people to see my live performances.

I aim to be an independent artist and a solo performer, so that I can bring the music level of my city up. TANMAY MUKHERJEE, DRUMMER AND PERCUSSIONIST