Sejal Kukadia lives in New Hyde Park, where she teaches tabla: Indian drums consisting of a small right-hand drum called dayan, often made of wood, and a larger left-hand one called bayan, made of metal.
Sejal Kukadia of New Hyde Park teaches tabla, or Indian drums (Joel Ciaro/Long Island Press)
Tabla playing is an Indian art handed down from generation to generation. It is also an art form traditionally reserved for men. In this regard, Kukadia is something of a revolutionary—currently, she is the only female classical tabla soloist in America. Born and raised in Upstate New York, and inspired by the sounds of her ancestral music, Kukadia has been studying under guru Pandit Divyang Vakil, one of the country’s most renowned tabla masters.
Today, Kukadia teaches students throughout New York—on Long Island and in New York City. Many of her students’ parents note that their children wanted to play some sort of instrument—guitar, drums, whatever—and tabla allows Indian children living in America an opportunity to connect with their heritage. It also exposes non-Indian adult students to an exciting and different style of music and performance—several of whom, says Kukadia, have gone on to pursue a career in tabla playing. For Kukadia, it offers the chance to continue in a long line of tabla performers, passing on her art and knowledge to the next generation.
For more information on Sejal Kukadia’s classes, go to www.taalim.com or e-mail tablataalim@yahoo.com. For more information on guru Pandit Divyang Vakil go to www.divyangvakil.com.
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