Kathmandu :

She’s been playing the tabla for 30 years, and today Sarita Mishra’s name has become synonymous with it. Mishra is the only female tabla player of the country.

A resident of Pashupati Devpatan area, she grew up playing tabla for the bhajan team in the temple area with devotees and sadhus. Her father, Hari Prasad Mishra, was a classical singer. This environment at home developed in her the passion for classical music.

Gurukul together with Himal Association and supported by Action Aid presented a classical instrumental performance by Sarita Mishra together with Cheli music group on June 9. Her first musical album Taal Sarita was also released at the programme. It has eight different musical tracks composed by Mishra.

Seated at the centre and surrounded by tablas, dholak and matka (a special rhythm vessel made of mud), she requested everyone to close their eyes in meditation and feel the music with their heart. Then her fingers danced on the tabla creating different rhythmic patterns inviting rounds and rounds of applaud from the audience.

The dhyan yatra (journey of meditation) was followed by a short piece — Taranga, in which she led the audience to imagine and actually the sound of big and small drops of water in a waterfall.

In the next two performances, Mishra also provided vocal backing to her music. The audience had a ball when she started playing three different series of Newari dhun, which most of them had heard at public places during jatras and festivals. Some even started clapping to the rhythm and shake their bodies. The latter was difficult as the hall was packed to the full. Mishra ended her performance with Sakti Anusthan and Satbhav calling for harmony among people.

The banner that served as the stage backdrop had these words printed on it: ‘Music for women empowerment’ and very, very aptly the majority of musicians accompanying

her on vocals, tabla, sitar and tanpura were women — Amrit Hira Yogi (sitar), Padma Hira Sthapit (sitar), Sangita Mishra Pudasaini (vocals), Malati Acharya (vocals), Anna Sarad

Gautam (tabla) and Rameshwor Nepal (effects) and Nirmal Bhattarai (harmonium). Thirteen-year-old Gautam received special plaudits from the audience praising her for her devotion

to classical music from such a tender age.