Tabla Solo - Developing Rhythm | Ustad Akram Khan | Kala Festival 2025

Ustad Akram Khan, seventh-generation custodian of the Ajrada Gharana, performs a tabla solo recorded live on 14 September 2025 at The Great Hall, University of Reading, as part of Kala Festival 2025 in Reading. Satwinder Pal Singh accompanies on sarangi lehra throughout this 7-minute excerpt.

The Ajrada tradition foregrounds intricate kayda compositions and layered stroke variations. Ustad Akram Khan moves from quieter, textured passages through cascading rhythmic phrases, building density across the tala cycle. The sarangi lehra holds the melodic ground, giving each rhythmic phrase a fixed tonal reference as the elaboration builds.