Yogesh Samsi

Pt. Yogesh Samsi has a great musical lineage, being the son of the renowned vocalist late Pt. Dinkar Kaikini. He was introduced to tabla by his illustrious father and took early lessons under Pt. H. Taranath Rao. Later on, he intensely trained under the finest tabla maestro Ustad Allah Rakha Khan for 23 long years, to become one of the most sought after tabla players of India today.

He is known for his unmatched combination of power, sensitivity, knowledge of tradition, tonal clarity and aesthetics. Not only is he a renowned solo player, but he has also accompanied some of the best vocal and instrumental artistes not just from India, but also around the world. He has also collaborated with artistes like Taufique Qureshi, Ranjit Barot, Louis Banks and others to create a fusion of Indian classical music with other traditions.

He is trained in the Punjab Gharana style of tabla, and is one of the most recognized teachers of this style in the country. He has been very actively conducting workshops and lecture-demonstrations in music institutions in India, USA, UK, South Africa and Japan. He has a large body of students worldwide. Understanding the need for a traditional art to move with the times, he has created a syllabus for learning tabla designed specifically for teachers in the West, and also worked on an instructional CD-Rom about tabla, which is available for students.

Yogesh Samsi just recieved the highest recognition in India given to practising artists, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for his contribution to Hindustani Instrumental Tabla.

Aditi Upadhya

Aditi has received intense training in the traditional paramparic style, characterized by the dedicated and close tutelage of her Guru and father, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini, himself a grand and renowned gavaiyya of the Agra Gharana, and her mother, Shashikala Kaikini, respected radio vocalist and current Principal of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan’s Music School in Bombay.

It was from the same school that Aditi received her academic degree in music, the Sangeet Visharad, in 1982. A worthy spokeswoman of her father’s powerful but nuanced style of singing, she has also chosen to highlight her lighter musical side, following training under Smt. Shobha Gurtu, known for her unparalleled mastery of Dadra, Thumri and Hori.

Aditi frequently gives lecture demonstrations and workshops on Indian classical music to both novices and connoisseurs. Since 1995, she has been regularly called upon to speak for audiences of intellectuals, theoreticians and scientists at Bangalore’s National Institute for Advanced Studies. She is also a devoted Guru to a select group of students. and has also taught Hindustani music at the Mallya Aditi International School in Bangalore.