Pandit Shantilal Shah’s “Laya Taal Saadhna” in Tribute to Ustad Zakir Hussain

HOUSTON: The name Zakir Hussain and the salutation “Ustad”, are very well known, worldwide. What Ustad Zakir Hussain did to popularize the Tabla is unequalled. It was only apt hence that Indian Music Society Houston’ s biennial program, Laya Taal Saadhna (LTS) 2025 was dedicated to this phenomenon performer and outstanding
human being.

The Laya Taal Saadhna a showcase event of Houston’s Tabla Guru – Pt. Shantilal Shah, has now become a staple and much anticipated event for all music lovers. This year’s program, started with a fitting tribute to the stalwart – video clippings of interviews, instances where this juggernaut was at a loss for words when talking about the sacred symbiosis of the instrument and the individual. This tribute that was superbly stitched together by Anuraag Shah, moved the audience and served as a blessing for the program.

Seasoned emcee Jigisha Doshi introduced Smt. Aparna Shah who rendered a soulful invocation to Goddess Saraswathi. Pt. Shantilal Shah – fondly referred to as Guruji – then took to the stage with the first group – Taal. This group of performers who were only a few inches taller than the Tablas themselves, wowed the audience with their dexterity and prowess!!

Pt.Shantilal Shah explained the rich tradition of his Tabla learning under Bade Guruji Taal Yogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar, his zeal for perfection and the importance of regular Riyaz. There were 5 groups aptly named with musical references – Theka, Maatra, Khand, Laya and Peshkar – that followed, and every one of them held the audiences spellbound with their fantastic performances playing Kaidas, Paltas and Tihaee in Teentaal.

The second half of the program upped the ante. Guru ji was not part of the performance ensemble. This clearly highlighted his confidence in the prowess of the performers. The first three groups – Kaida, Tihaee and Sum wowed the audience with their resounding renditions in various Taals ranging from Rupak to Jhap Taal. All the Kaidas, Relas and Paltas were quite complex and required numerous hours of dedicated Riyaz, which was evident
in their performances.

The epitome of this LTS came from the Aavartan group. This group consisted of Guru ji’s senior most students who are currently professionals and/or college students. They performed a variety of Relas, Chakradaars and Tihaae all in Drut (very high speed) Teen Taal. Their crystal-clear recitals of each of the Tukras left the audience spellbound. This phenomenal finale received a standing and thunderous ovation from the audience that consisted of students, parents, senior artists, classical music enthusiasts, IMS members and many more.

This year’s LTS helped reiterate the extremely high bar of excellence that this program has established and continues to elevate even further every time. While Jigisha ensured a smooth program flow, key tasks such as brochure creation, backstage coordination were very well organized, planned and executed by dedicated parent volunteers, under Vishy Narayanamurthy’s leadership.

Laya Taal Saadhna is a pride of the Houston Tabla community. We hope to see more young and adult students learn Tabla in its true spirit. For more details visit www.tablahouston.com & www.imshouston.org.