Tabla Blog - Yannick Even

As tabla is a fascinating instrument for western ears, I got very fast many opportunities to perform for the public. My first concerts were around Rouen accompanying my synthesizer class, playing with a classical and jazz young guitarist and then performing as the tabla player of the Sahaj Band formation. My first Concert Le Havre 1992 Sahaj Band was a Indian folk group based in Montpellier composed of members of the Sahaja Yoga Association. We played for all the south of France Indian festivals as well as performed many concerts initiating the French public to folk Indian and Quawwalis music. Concerts were always very joyful and interactive with many spontaneous dances and cheerings in our public. Sahaj Band Concert at Le Garden Montpellier 1994 During these years I loved exploring many different music styles. I was playing and performing for my engineer school rock band, jamming with any musicians on my road (jazz to reggae), giving tabla lessons to motivated students or enjoying a...

I always loved music and rhythm in particular. I've started playing piano and learning how to read notation around 10 y.o. but I found it so boring that I quickly stopped. When I was 14 one of my mum's friend gave me my 1st tabla set (indian drums). I started playing by myself and then with the help of an Afghani living in Brittany (west part of France). He was very happy to share his culture and never asked me any money for the time he was spending teaching me my first taals (Teentaal 16 beats & Keverwa 8 beats). I've started enjoying tabla from the first day and got many opportunities to perform for friends. As my mum is a teacher we spent our summer holidays (1987 -1989) following "Nirmal Sangeet Sareeta", a Napgur (India) based musical formation, during their European tour. It was such magical moments, sharing their culture, music passion, touring in all European countries, having lots of fun with all of them. It's at that time that I met my teacher Sa...