Ustad Tari Khan

tabla

Born in Pakistan into a traditional Rababi family, Ustad Tari Khan is considered one of the most accomplished tabla performers in Punjab Gharana (school of playing). Khan’s performance style combines artistic purity, charisma, lyricism, and expressive innovation. At 6, he began his studies with Ustad Mia Shaukat Hussain Khan in Lahore. At 16, Khan’s artistry had already earned him a name in Ghazal performance.

Khan is a world-renowned master accompanist. In performing ghazals, he has accompanied Hari Haran, Talat Aziz, Mehdi Hassan, and Ghulam Ali. He has also accompanied Pandit Jasrag, Rais Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Vilyat Khan, Sultan Khan, Dr. L. Subramanium, V.G. Jog, and Shaid Parvez in Qawwali performances.

As a soloist, Khan gracefully expresses complicated tals and blends his classical roots with innovative approaches, such as imitating the sounds of other world musics in his popular “International Kaherwa."

Khan has received the Hazrat Amir Khusro Award, Pakistan Television Music Award, and was the first tabla player to receive the Taj Poshi (“The Golden Crown”). He has performed at the 1989 Percussive Arts Society convention in Nashville and at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Khan’s work has been included in documentaries, Pakistani feature films, and in Mira Nair’s “Mississippi Masala.” A teacher and torchbearer of the Punjab Gharana, Khan has led workshops at the University of Southern California, University of Birmingham, and Stanford University.