Happy Teacher's Day...

"Take in what you get from all your teachers and put it in different bags... When you want to recollect or transmit what you have learned, take it out from the bags and it is yours to use..." - Mamady Keita, Grandmaster Djembefola, Balandugu, Guinea.

... Over the past two years, I have realized, on a very real and tangible level, the importance of a Guru in my life. Throughout school, we were bombarded with this, on Gurupoornima and Teacher's Day but since I'd rather let my experience guide me, I feel it more genuinely now...So, here's a detailed report of all the teachers in my life...

I studied in Loyola High School, Pashan, Pune. It is because of the tireless efforts of all my teachers in school that I have a strong knowledge and value base. Mrs. Fernandez, Mrs. Nazereth, Mrs. Awati, Mrs. Samant, Mrs. Dini, Mrs. Venkit, Mrs. Pande, Mrs. Apte, Mrs. Potdar, Mr. Kshirsagar, Mr. Momin, Mr. Matthew, Mrs. Matthews, Mrs. Baidhani, Mrs. Pocheco, Mrs. shrivastav, Mrs. Sarfare, Mrs. Joseph; my life would not be the same without your kind and patient guidance. I am eternally grateful to each and every one of you.

Mr. Zubin Balsara was my first Drum-kit teacher. I owe a majority of my present sensibilities to this brilliant and charismatic man. He is not one of the most well known drummers in the city but he has inspired many a percussionist directly and indirectly with his soulful and holistic approach towards rhythm. He has dedicated his life towards popularizing Arts Based Therapy for special populations and its use in our day to day lives. Zubin, I salute you...

Thereafter, I had the pleasure of learning from Sanjeev Pandkar, the drummer  of legendary Pune based rock act, Strange Brew. Sanjeev has been the most encouraging teachers in my life by lending me his personal equipment for gigs that my then band 'Moonstruck' had landed and always supporting live music.

In my quest to understand my culture better I met the humble and the extremely talented Mridangist, Mr. Chandrashekhar. I had honour of studying with him for three years. In this time my journey of the pursuit of excellence began. I learned that there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow but little drops of heaven along the way. Thank you Chandrashekhar Sir; my journey with the Mridangam is not over. I will do you proud...

Next, I met one of the most versatile drummers /percussionists and studied with him closely as he studied with his guru. His name is Joshua Banks from Brisbane, Australia. He is an extremely well travelled percussionist who has  graduated from  the Berklee College of Music, Boston; lived in Morocco and India studying percussion there extensively. We've spent many an afternoon working on everything from practice pads, Taar, Jazz Drumming, Funk, Listening Sessions and everything in between... It was through Josh that I reconnected with linguist and Tabla Maestro, Mr. Rajeev Deosthali (Josh's tabla guru). Using his amazing language skills in combination with this expertise on the tabla, Rajeev has embarked on a ground-breaking method of teaching the tabla. I am blessed to know these two gentlemen.

I was then introduced to Iqbal Azad, a powerhouse Punjabi Dhol player (from the Kutchh Gharana) by friend and guitarist extraordinaire Mr. Sanjay Joseph. I would travel to Mumbai whenever possible and make time for a master class as often as I could. Iqbal, not being one of the most articulate people in the world, led by demonstration and example. Watching his prowess over many an Indian rhythm played on this Kutchhy Dhol gave me enough material to work on for many years. Mr. Azad has played for all the major bollywood recordings and plays currently with Vishal & Shekhar.

I was first introduced to my strongest and current influence, Grandmaster Djembefola Mamady Keita, by Josh, as he gifted me his instructional DVD and I was instantly hooked. He has a magnetic personality; which is evident in the sheer number of students from all over the globe flocking to learn from this master. Following this globe-trotting teacher as much as possible I met him first in Singapore in 2010, in San Diego in 2011 and in Bali in 2012. My journey with him continues and I am excited and curious to see where this takes me.

By gradually being a part of the global djembe community I am grateful to many an individual; master djembefola Famoudou Konate, the charming Monette Marino, TTM Cairns Tara Tucker, TTM Utah Quinn Reesor, TTM Singapore Kelvin Kew, TTM Portland Sekou Soumah, TTM Hong Kong James Kwan, TTM Japan Hiroki Murai, TTM Japan Ken Tokuda for guiding me in their own way.

Last but not the least I must mention the contribution of guitarist Jayant Sankrityayana, Anoop Kumar, Agnee Axeman Koco and front-man Mohan Kannan for nurturing me as a drummer and sharing their experience  with me on stage and off. It is through the  inspiration of these individuals and contemporaries like Sivamani and Amit Kilam that I feel a sense of purpose in this world.

To sum it up, I use the great words of saint Kabir: Guru Govind dou khade, kaake laagoon paye. Balihari guru aapki, Govind diyo milaye. (Translation: If the Lord and my teacher were standing in front of me; faced with the dilemma of whose feet to fall at, I'd pay tribute to my teacher; for it is he who has shown me the path the God.)

Come. Drum. Be One.

Taal Inc.

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Come. Drum. Be One.

Within every heart there is a drum. Within every drum there is a heart. (Unknown)

‘Drumming is for everybody,’ is the awareness that Taal Inc. has been spreading through rhythm for over the past six and a half years and counting.

Taal Inc. Drum Circles @ Bal Mela - for the children of waste pickers in Pune City

A drum circle is a situation where a group of people come together in the physical form of a circle for the purpose of drumming. A wide range of drums ranging from hand drums (namely: the Conga, Djembe, Darbouka, Bongos etc) to frame drums, stick drums and just about anything that makes a sound are used. Drum circles are either facilitated or non-facilitated. A facilitator in the centre of the circle is usually the one who draws the invisible energy graph for the circle; complete from a calm, trance inducing level to a loud cathartic high. A facilitator is not a conductor; he is only a catalyst in the group activity of drumming.

Taal Inc. Drum & Juggling Circle

Since time immemorial the drum has been used to bring people together in spirit, in celebration, in harmony and in solidarity. My association with the drum began since as long as I can remember and in my journey till date, what I have realised so far is that the more I learn about the drum, the more I learn a story and a culture that the drum represents. Taal Inc. Drum Circle for 350 Almanites - Rhythm, Nature and Positive Vibes. As human beings we are connected to this collective unconscious of rhythm, that, in fact, keeps us ticking and alive every moment of our lives.  It is this very connection that makes the drum such an attractive instrument. Every culture has a history of group drumming, singing and dancing that we call folk music. People came together, drummed, danced, sang, cooked, ate, shared, expressed themselves, celebrated and got along with their lives the next day. Today this is something worth preserving for fear of losing this sacred connection to rhythm and indirectly, our cultural inheritance. Having said this, due to the 21st century’s emphasis on empiricism it has been researched that drumming is therapeutic, helps reduce stress by producing enhanced alpha brainwaves which represent a relaxed state. Drumming is by nature a group activity and thus fosters efficient communication, group cohesiveness and teamwork. Since it is a novel activity, it is very quick to call upon the participants’ unfiltered expression. A trained facilitator is therefore, able to gauge the personalities of the participants and address the needs of this group on a micro or macro level. As awareness, intelligence and reasoning capabilities grow, so should the intervention and its efficacy. Group drumming provides the very framework to connect with a new instrument, with one another and the most important (re)connection; with oneself.

Due to the inclusive and non-discriminatory nature of a drum, it has been used effectively with various samples of populations. My journey with Taal Inc. and the drums has led me to work with many a special population ranging from Alcohol and Drug addicts, Commercial Sex Workers, Mentally and Physically Challenged Adults, Rural Children and assisted work on Autistic Children using the concept of drum circles. The results have been astonishingly productive and humbling at the same time.

It will not be long before we bring rhythm back into our lives and realise that, whoever the drummer may be, the drum was inherently built to spread joy and love. And since music is unequivocally the food of love, we will be drumming along.

Varun Venkit

Taal Inc.

Come. Drum. Be ONE! (Taal Inc.'s 1st Birthday)

I returned from my 3 month Europe sabbatical with a backpack full of wine and cheese, a heart full of memories from the recent past and an  empty mind, not knowing the fate of things to come...

For one final attempt at inspirational direction, I headed to Singapore, home to my parents and coincidentally at that point in time, Mamady Keita's Mini Guinea Djembe Workshop organized by Kelvin Kew's lila Drums. It was this experience that started it all for me in my opinion. It seemed to be the perfect blend of creative energy, warmth, hospitality, instruction, information, direction, structure and vibe.

I returned to India after having made many a connection with people who share the same mission, that of rhythm and most importantly,after having rekindled the connection to my own rhythm.

The idea of Taal Inc. that was brewing on the back-burner and surfacing as the intermittent community drum circle and the  odd innovative rhythmic idea had boiled over on more than one occasion by now... It was hence, time for the plunge.

Treading on uncharted territory, it was only after a while and kind guidance from  friends that the legalities of Taal Inc. got in place and I decided to start traditional West-African Djembe class at the High Spirits Cafe', Pune, thanks to the  kindness of owner and supporter of the Arts, Khodu Irani. As curious and motivated students gravitated towards this class, it seemed to me that this path was the need of the hour and I carried on.

Simultaneously, I rounded up some of my drumkit students and introduced them to the djembe hoping it would have the same effect when I was shown the djembe for the first time by my first drum teacher and mentor Mr. Zubin Balsara. After several attempts at this, I managed to find three crusaders to add to the roster; Mr. Agneya 'Topgun' Chikte, Mr. Dhir Mody and Mr. Bipin Revankar. Out of these three, Bipin was the only one who had actually played a Djembe before this. Agneya and Dhir were ready to learn and learn, they did. I found another enthusiastic multi-talented character, Mr. Amar Kulkarni for the Sangban and Kenkeni and his partner in crime, Mr. Abhijit 'Zee Zoo' Jejurikar on Dununba. Zee Zoo is originally a keyboard player who will give his arm and a leg for the love of music. To add some melody to the otherwise only percussive mayhem, I asked my dear friends Wendy Burby (who is the official Taal Inc. All-Round-Cool-Person) Pragnya 'Yogi Bear' Wakhlu and Vineet Alurkar to join in. Now that I look back, I think that there is some greater force at play here that attracted this mad bunch of gems to each other because I cannot think of doing anything without them today - the birth of the Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble

The Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble

After checking with Khodu, I decided that the 9th of February 2011 would be the day that the Taal Inc. Students Ensemble & the Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble would  make their début performances. This would be the birth of Taal  Inc. celebrated by an evening of percussion and joy.

As the day neared my wandering soul was given direction by the kindness of Wendy Burby, Sneha Nair and Solonie Singh Pathania (who is now an integral part of team Taal Inc.)

The Taal Inc. Launch Event at the High Spirits Cafe, Koregaon Park, Pune.

I approached the very talented, Nikhil More to put a symbol to this spirit that is Taal Inc.; an icon that people from  every background would be able to associate with. This led to the creation of the logo.

The Taal Inc. Logo by Nikhil More

At his point it was important to communicate to people what exactly Taal Inc. is and for that I had the calm, precise, meticulous and creative eye of Afrah Shafiq who shot 'The Spirit of the Circle,' a documentary film about Taal Inc. Drum Circles.

The rate of movement was and continues to be overwhelming. At this point I'd like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for being here in person, in spirit and in rhythm. Taal Inc. is where it is and has achieved what it has only because every single one of you have played your parts in its evolution.

I would like to welcome Janak Vadgama (my oldest friend and confidant with whom I'd talk about the idea that is today, Taal Inc.) and Anand Godse (my friend, who with his maverick research mind steers the newest training division of the company) to the family of Taal Inc.

The Taal Inc. family as we see it today:

Agneya Chikte (Djembe/prodigy), Dhir Mody (Djembe/Prodigy), Bipin Revankar (Djembe), Amar Kulkarni (Sangban/Didge), Solonie Singh Pathania (Brand Manager/Kenkeni), Abhijit Jejurikar (Dununba/Bouncer), Shreyas Iyengar (Dununba), Gandhaar Amin (Sangban/Flute), Yamini Lavanian (Vocal/bouncer), Wendy Burby (Vocal/All Round Cool Person), Pragnya Wakhlu (Vocal), Vineet Alurkar (Vocal), Vaibhavi Karad (Vocal), Sharwari Chitale (Vocal/Bouncer), Michelle Manuel (Vocal), Denzil Fernandez (Sound), Nitin Joshi (Sound), Janak Vadgama (Executive Manager), A. Godse (Behavioural Trainer), Quinn Reesor (Mentor), Tara Tucker (Mentor), Kelvin Kew (Mentor), Mamady Keita (Master/Inspiration), Nikhil More (Visual  Artist), Afrah Shafiq (Documentary Film Maker), Aditi Bandekar (Artist/Physiotherapist), Sonia Sumant (Artist/President - Taal Inc. Wives Club), Tanya Ginwala (Badge-Maker), Kishore Kumar (Filmstar/Website Designer), Salil P.A (Website Designer), Tullika Sonam Wangdi (Bouncer), Animesh Mathur (Photographer), Neel Shah (Supporter), Ajinkya Chikte (Social Media Consultant), Kanchan Gokhale (Stylist/Bouncer), Chris Fonceca (Guitars), Michael Pereira (Bass), Savio Sebastian (Guitars), Vishal Gore (Supporter), Anand Bhagat (Djembe), Victoria Bourke (Djembe), Clio (Harp), Amruta Kher (Researcher/Fortune Teller), Dhanashree Bhagwat (Researcher), Maithili Pendse (Researcher), Omkar Bhanushali (Researcher), Ravi Vazirani (Videographer), Ravi Dodeja (Printer), Santosh Kaka (Transport), Rushad Mistry (Music Consultant), Bhrigu Sahni (Guitars) and You...

With Gratitude...,

Come. Drum. Be One.

Varun Venkit

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Come. Drum. Be 2012!

5,25,600 minutes of rhythm... Here's what it sounded like...

It all started, officially, on Wednesday, the 9th of February 2011 with the Taal Inc. launch event which saw debut performances by the Taal Inc. Students Ensemble and the Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble; the fruition of a lot of hard work, blood, sweat  and tears. We had the blessings of over 6 years of rhythmic goodwill in the avatar of community drum circles, ensemble performances and happy students on our side which helped gather momentum from the first note.

The Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble live @ The High Spirits, Pune.

We continued our mini tour of the metropolitans of Maharashtra. The 10th of Feb saw the Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble perform at the Kalaghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai.

Day 2: The Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble live @ the Kalaghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai.

Our next milestone was our largest. We drummed with 1000 employees of ADP on the 1st of May 2011. No turning back now, I said to myself and with the blink of an eye we surpassed our goal of 40 drum circles in 2011 by 15.

Taal Inc. Drum Circles for ADP at the convention centre at the Marriott, Pune.

At Taal Inc., content is our forté. We make sure that we understand what sustains our core and we honour that spirit. That is what makes us different. And to know exactly what I am talking about, I invite you all to view the Taal Inc.(sights) album made by our charming Brand Manager, Solonie Singh Pathania. And in her words, "Taal Inc. is not just a company or a band, its a community and what makes it so special are its people. It's their energy and individuality that makes Taal Inc. so unique. This album is a small attempt to get you to know some of the most awesome people, I have had the pleasure of knowing, a little better."

In keeping with the ripple effect, I soon collaborated with percussionist greats such as Sivamani and Amit Kilam (Indian Ocean) in my persuit of spreading rhythm to every corner of the country. My aim: A drum in every household.

Varun collaborating with Sivamani at a Drum Circle @ Pune Central, Ganesh Khind Road, Pune.

In Gurgaon, with Amit Kilam (Indian Ocean) and Montry (Swarathma)

Because, it s all about coming together!

Next stop: San Diego! 2011 and 2012 being years of the Djembe in the antient calendars of Rhythm, I made sure that I met my master Mamady Keita at every opportunity I got. This Workshop that was held in San Diego was a Grandmasters tour of the States where I got to learn  from the great Famoudou Konate as well. Many Countries, many heritages, one drum, one cause!

With the Grandmasters: Famoudou Konate (left) and Mamady Keita (right)

Back home, work seemed to continue without respite. Our corporate clientele increased with each week; as did our college list. Equilibrium being of utmost importance, we make sure that we reach out to every strata and kind of population possible. As a part of the independent research papers that I am undertaking, I, along with a team of researchers, completed my first project-focused report on 'Exploring the potential of Group-Drumming as a Group-Therapy', which should be ready for publication soon, Inshallah! This study was conducted with two groups of Women in Prostitution in Mumbai. Then, came the Largest Drum Circle in the World Campaign. We at Taal Inc. were proud flag-bearers of the India Chapter of this movement, gathering 250+ participants who drummed for peace, unity and community on the 17th of September 2011. We intend to keep this up as an annual pursuit.

Taal Inc. s Community Drum Circle at Arc Asia... the start of a revolution

We conducted a series of drum circles with corporate groups and colleges for the music festival NH7 Weekender held in Magarpatta City in November 2011. This was a great way to spread awareness of a music festival of the 21st century and also of Taal Inc. and its spirit of inclusion.

Taal Inc. Drum Circles for students of FLAME as a part of the road to NH7 with Taal Inc. campaign

The Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble secured itself a spot on the live music scene  of the country post the NH7 Weekender by taking the  audience  by storm and leaving them with what we have come to call, 'Dancy Shoe Syndrome', a disease we like to spread... that along with 'Percussionitis.'

The Taal Inc. Rhythm Ensemble pre performance at the Pepsi Dubstation stage at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender Festival

Corporate work kept pouring in. We work with large groups as a typical conference starter/finisher or even  smaller groups as an exponent of behavioural  training where the therapeutic takeaway is more. Either way, once Taal Inc.'d, you'll taste no other.

Taal Inc. Drum Circles for Tech Mahindra at Hinjewadi, Pune.

In addition to all of this, to  keep in touch with the music scene I make sure to be involved with those, who have influenced or moved me in terms of my musical upbringing. I played a series of gigs with my boys from Agnee (IIT Powai's Mood Indigo & The LIFE OK Channel Webcert being the highlight of the gigs) and also Nikhil Dsouza (The Bandra Festival, Mumbai amongst others). What sets these musicians apart is a sense of passion and originality that is reflected  in their music. I am proud to be a part of these musical quests. There is no other way considering that the path of a warrior can otherwise, be a lonely one.

Musical Connections - Varun Venkit and the Taal Inc Rhythm Ensemble collaborating with Agnee, Shilpa Rao, Salim Merchant, Chang, Monali Thakur and Papon.

Rhythm and Dance go hand in hand. It takes one to appreciate the other and so The Rhythm Ensemble collaborated with Hrishikesh's Centre for Contemporary Dance to put up a one of a kind show titled, 'Rhythm and Movement with a Conscience', a fund raiser concert for The Blue Cross Society of India; working in aid of stray animals.

Rhythm and Movement with a Conscience - Where Drum makes Dance a Rhythm. (High Spirits, Pune)

I am very proud to announce the first trimester module of West - African Drumming by Taal Inc. at the Symbiosis Centre for Liberal Arts (SCLA), Pune. This is our first step towards introducinig the Djembe to an audience as insidiously as possible. Come February 2012, we will have our first batch of Djembefolas. Look out for these young guns...

We have a lot of exciting ideas planned for 2012. I am very excited to welcome each and every one of you into a day in the life of Taal Inc. To know  more...

Come. Drum. Be One.

Varun Venkit

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The Largest Drum Circle in the World!!!

The Largest Drum Circle in the World by Taal Inc. (Pune/India)

On the brink of this beautiful  event in 2013 I'd like to revisit the spirit of the largest drum circle in the world from the yeah before last.

2011:

It is a world-wide campaign where people all over, drumming enthusiasts from every corner of the world will be drumming on the 17th of September for peace, harmony, unity and community.

Taal Inc. is the flag bearer for the  Pune/India leg  of this campaign. We drum  at Arc Asia on Saturday the 17th of September from 6:00pm - 7:30pm.

Having said all of this... What is the largest drum circle in the world really?

In all honesty,

It is a commitment; to ourselves to reach out to the depths of ones core to bring out the absolute best from within.

It is place of openness; where no matter who you are, what you do, how fat a salary package you bring back home every month, you can sit in silence with others  and experience a glimpse of an energy that is so powerful, of which we are all stakeholders.

It is a reminder; to live in harmony with the world, to not hurt one another, to spread love, to share and to  not lie to one another for the sake of primary or secondary gain.

It is an opportunity; to materialize a dream of being carefree, unafraid of external judgement and actually live like nature intended us to live, like a child, full of curious questions and undying spiritual awareness.

It is a cry; to all those unaware and ignorant to open  their eyes, ears and beings to a greater cause, a greater moral police - the person they see each day in the mirror.

It  is a challenge; to each and every one of us to face our inner fears head-on and to stare it in the eye and say, 'Yes. I believe in myself.'

It is a magnifying glass; to show everyone that the heart sees no borders, no religions, no colours, no caste, no war and knows no discrimination.

It is the ripple effect; of positive, peaceful vibrations.

In this spirit, regardless of the  number of people we will have drumming with us this Saturday, I promise you the largest drum circle in the world.

Come. Drum. Be One.

Taal Inc.

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