Classical Virtuosity — Accompaniment & Tabla Solos
Pandita Anuradha Pal, a pioneering tabla virtuoso, has accompanied legends including Pt. Ravi Shankar, Pandita Girija Devi, Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Pt. Rajan & Pt. Sajan Mishra, Pt. Satish Vyas, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Shankar Mahadevan and younger contemporaries like Rakesh Chaurasia, Rahul Sharma, Amaan & Aayan Ali Bangash and Niladri Kumar. Read more about her journey.
Her accompaniment reflects power, sensitivity, tonal clarity, and deep adherence to tradition, shaped by years of dedicated riyaaz and disciplined practice. Each performance demands exceptional nuance, focus, and responsiveness, navigating the delicate challenges of accompaniment, where the tabla must converse seamlessly with melody while maintaining its own rhythmic identity.
Through her Traditional Tabla Solos, Anuradha Pal demonstrates virtuosity across six gharanas, blending complex kaidas, relas, tihais, complex tālas and lilting rhythms with precision, improvisational depth, and expressive subtlety. Explore her music, reviews or book a concert.
Videos
Anuradha Pal's Tabla accompaniment with Legendary Masters and young maestros
Anuradha Pal | Traditional Tabla Solos | Six Gharanas & Classical Virtuosity
Audio
Curated tracks showcasing traditional tabla solos and accompaniment with legendary maestros.
Press Clippings
Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Shahid Parvez met their match in Anuradha Pal, perhaps the first full-fledged woman tabla player who could hold her own against any male melody maker. This brilliant percussionist with the most pliable fingers improvises freely and felicitously at any speed.
Shubha Mudgal on vocals and Anuradha Pal on tabla made a lively pair. Anuradha’s enunciation is bold and expressive; as an accompanist, she becomes an additional voice, like her guru Zakir Hussain when he accompanies a singer.
Anuradha Pal’s deft rhythmic improvisations with Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan result in a fine concert by masters— a magical acceleration from slow pace to a frenzied crescendo.
In every gesture of rhythm, Anuradha Pal reflects her guru Zakir Hussain—never flinching while accompanying hardened performers and handling the drums with poise.
Anuradha Pal produced electrifying beats, accompanying Ronu Majumdar with ease, and in solo rose to great heights—giving the audience thrilling moments.