Tabla was taught as a way of life: Grammy winner Sandeep Das

He brought India into the limelight on the global music stage by bagging the prestigious Grammy award — and Sandeep Das credits the guru-shishya parampara for how it shaped his life. Even after a long stint in the US and performing abroad, Das maintains that “you can take the Indian out of India, but not India out of an Indian” and is all set to perform in three cities in the country — starting off with Delhi, then Kolkata and finally Mumbai.

So, what made him return to the country to perform, after so many years? “You can take the Indian out of India, but not India out of an Indian. You can achieve almost everything that is possible as an artist but the urge to play in your own country, in front of your countrymen, is always very special,” Das responded.

For him, the instrument that he plays — the tabla — has become an inseparable part of his life and is “a way of life”. “Under the tutelage of my guru and tabla maestro, Pandit Kishan Maharaj, I learned the value of discipline, hard work and respect, which are the virtues that help me today to connect to the world in many ways than just playing an instrument,” the 46-year-old tabla maestro said.

Das won the Best World Music Album at the 59th Grammy Awards this year for The Silk Road Ensemble — Sing Me Home with American-French cellist Yo-Yo Ma. “Music, like most other things, is same when you try to understand others’ perspective and then you find common ground,” he said.