TEACHERS of
LIFE,
MUSIC
and
TABLA
I have been very fortunate to have studied North Indian Tabla
with all of the gentlemen listed below at different phases of my livingness/beingness.
(1979 thru 1992) All have left an indelible impression on me as men, as musicians and as teachers.
I gratefully and humbly acknowledge each of them for their compassion,
selflessness, and PATIENCE with me and profoundly apologize for any of my inadequacies.
BOWING VERY LOW
PAZ
Christopher
HISTORY
I first heard tabla on a record (black round thing with a hole in the middle)
called FESTIVALS FROM INDIA in 1974, there was a tabla solo on it by the great Alla Rakha,
and it was the first time that I had ever heard the instrument being recited and played.
This is pre-internet, dvd, cd technology) in EAST LA.
There was little to nothing on tabla in the library in EAST LOS
so I went to the record store, to the INTERNATIONAL SECTION,
WORLD MUSIC did not yet exist as a genre - a record store is a building you
could actually walk into and see and hear records, read the liner notes,
buy the record and take it home. )
I removed the shrink wrap rather unceremoniously and put the record
on and and sat there fascinated by the SOUND's.)
There are (still) not very musicians, if any, of India who make EAST LOS ANGELES
home,
i.e., no one to study with there.
So I went on a quest for schools that taught tabla.
(Which was not considered the wisest career move by my parents in 1975
while living in EAST Los Angeles)
My choices at the time were
UCLA in California,
Wesleyan University in Connecticut,
Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael,
or Cal Arts in CA
I was BEYOND fortunate to receive a full scholarship to CAL ARTS* and study
with these wonderful teachers, and be immersed into a world I knew little to nothing about.
One of the most interesting things about tabla is that it is an aural/oral tradition.
At that time I was playing drumset in rock and fusion bands.
We would buy a record learn it and play the music at gigs. e.g.,
MAHAVISHNU,
RETURN TO FOREVER
WEATHER REPORT,
GONG,
TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME,
YES
GENTLE GIANT
BRUFORD, etc., etc.,
Music was also, at that time, very much an aural/oral tradition.
No commercial transcriptions dvds, youtube, etc., for you to check out and play along with.
I remember wearing out records, you would put the needle on it and it would go straight across.
I bought the same albums many times trying to learn these grooves by (literally) wearing out the grooves on the record.
Tabla was very much the same way for me.
LISTEN,
LISTEN,
LISTEN,
learn the compositions
imitate, and emulate the playing,
which I still do every day,
and every day these men and their amazing spirits
are with me as men, musicians and teachers.
It is only due to their selflessness to impart their knowledge with me and so many others
which allows me to make music as a living playing tabla and/or drumset.
Hundreds of performances in 29 countries and 5 continents ............................ so far
Playing THE MUSIC I wish to learn,
with the giants who have come before me
I am blessed to be able to travel the world playing my music
and the music of others due to their great gifts
FOREVER INDEBTED TO THE FOLLOWING
GRACIAS A TODOS
cg
LIFE,
MUSIC
and
TABLA
I have been very fortunate to have studied North Indian Tabla
with all of the gentlemen listed below at different phases of my livingness/beingness.
(1979 thru 1992) All have left an indelible impression on me as men, as musicians and as teachers.
I gratefully and humbly acknowledge each of them for their compassion,
selflessness, and PATIENCE with me and profoundly apologize for any of my inadequacies.
BOWING VERY LOW
PAZ
Christopher
HISTORY
I first heard tabla on a record (black round thing with a hole in the middle)
called FESTIVALS FROM INDIA in 1974, there was a tabla solo on it by the great Alla Rakha,
and it was the first time that I had ever heard the instrument being recited and played.
This is pre-internet, dvd, cd technology) in EAST LA.
There was little to nothing on tabla in the library in EAST LOS
so I went to the record store, to the INTERNATIONAL SECTION,
WORLD MUSIC did not yet exist as a genre - a record store is a building you
could actually walk into and see and hear records, read the liner notes,
buy the record and take it home. )
I removed the shrink wrap rather unceremoniously and put the record
on and and sat there fascinated by the SOUND's.)
There are (still) not very musicians, if any, of India who make EAST LOS ANGELES
home,
i.e., no one to study with there.
So I went on a quest for schools that taught tabla.
(Which was not considered the wisest career move by my parents in 1975
while living in EAST Los Angeles)
My choices at the time were
UCLA in California,
Wesleyan University in Connecticut,
Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael,
or Cal Arts in CA
I was BEYOND fortunate to receive a full scholarship to CAL ARTS* and study
with these wonderful teachers, and be immersed into a world I knew little to nothing about.
One of the most interesting things about tabla is that it is an aural/oral tradition.
At that time I was playing drumset in rock and fusion bands.
We would buy a record learn it and play the music at gigs. e.g.,
MAHAVISHNU,
RETURN TO FOREVER
WEATHER REPORT,
GONG,
TONY WILLIAMS LIFETIME,
YES
GENTLE GIANT
BRUFORD, etc., etc.,
Music was also, at that time, very much an aural/oral tradition.
No commercial transcriptions dvds, youtube, etc., for you to check out and play along with.
I remember wearing out records, you would put the needle on it and it would go straight across.
I bought the same albums many times trying to learn these grooves by (literally) wearing out the grooves on the record.
Tabla was very much the same way for me.
LISTEN,
LISTEN,
LISTEN,
learn the compositions
imitate, and emulate the playing,
which I still do every day,
and every day these men and their amazing spirits
are with me as men, musicians and teachers.
It is only due to their selflessness to impart their knowledge with me and so many others
which allows me to make music as a living playing tabla and/or drumset.
Hundreds of performances in 29 countries and 5 continents ............................ so far
Playing THE MUSIC I wish to learn,
with the giants who have come before me
I am blessed to be able to travel the world playing my music
and the music of others due to their great gifts
FOREVER INDEBTED TO THE FOLLOWING
GRACIAS A TODOS
cg
PANDIT TARANATH RAO
http://davidphilipson.com/pages/Taranath.html
My first tabla teacher - very open, very giving and very forgiving,
and walking tabla history
http://davidphilipson.com/pages/Taranath.html
My first tabla teacher - very open, very giving and very forgiving,
and walking tabla history
LEONICE SHINEMANN
www.facebook.com/leonice.shinneman
My 2nd tabla teacher and Gurujis primary torch bearer
www.facebook.com/leonice.shinneman
My 2nd tabla teacher and Gurujis primary torch bearer
JOHN BERGAMO
www.pas.org/about/hall-of-fame/john-bergamo
MAESTRO John Bergamo,
my 3rd tabla teacher and man with 3 feet
one in jazz,
one in 20th century music
and another foot(?) in world music.
An amazing man and an amazing musician
who continues to show me the way.
www.pas.org/about/hall-of-fame/john-bergamo
MAESTRO John Bergamo,
my 3rd tabla teacher and man with 3 feet
one in jazz,
one in 20th century music
and another foot(?) in world music.
An amazing man and an amazing musician
who continues to show me the way.
SWAPAN CHAUDHURI
http://www.swapan.com/
My last tabla teacher
Swapan, always elegant, eloquent profound
and startlingly amazing
http://www.swapan.com/
My last tabla teacher
Swapan, always elegant, eloquent profound
and startlingly amazing
REVIEWS
The following pics are from the U.S. premiere of
JACQUES LOUSSIER’s
CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN AND TABLA
@
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
by the
IPALPITI ORCHESTRA
under the baton of
Edward Schmieder
guests soloists were
Alexandru Tomescu - violin
and
myself - tabla, ghatam, kanjira
The following pics are from the U.S. premiere of
JACQUES LOUSSIER’s
CONCERTO FOR VIOLIN AND TABLA
@
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL
by the
IPALPITI ORCHESTRA
under the baton of
Edward Schmieder
guests soloists were
Alexandru Tomescu - violin
and
myself - tabla, ghatam, kanjira
REVIEWS
Onstage with SHENKAR
October 2016
CLICK ON IMAGE FOR ADDITIONAL INFO
I know Christopher Garcia ... he is an angel from above. We have been working over 3 years touring and everything else, and many times we rehearse, all the time, as music is not my profession, Music is my passion, Music is my LIFE, see…..We are always rehearsing so many times, and Chris used to come, he is one of the busiest percussions on earth, he is incredible, he also plays South Indian percussion, clay ghatam, kanjira and everything else......”
L. SHANKAR - composer, violinist, vocalist
"Garcia’s drumming cut through, complemented, and grounded the reverberating echoes of L. Shankar’s masterful slides on the violin throughout the hall. ... Highlights included Garcia’s percussion solo in the fifth composition, in which he built upon various rhythms for several uninterrupted minutes, beating tabla, kanjira and ghatam, including tapping his face to a fascinating effect..... "
WESLEYAN ARGUS
"Christopher Garcia is a critically acclaimed percussionist, composer, performer, ethnomusicologist, and multi-instrumentalist ……he is known in different circles for various reasons: either as a composer or performer either on drum set, percussion instruments of North and South India, marimba, or instruments of indigenous Mexico/Mesoamerica….. he had the privilege of receiving a full scholarship at California Institute of the Arts where he studied tabla with Pandit Taranath Rao, Leonice Shinneman, and Swapan Chaudhuri, and tabla , ghatam and kanjira with John Bergamo. In 1976, his mentor John Bergamo was asked to perform with Shakti in Canada and 40 years later Christopher was honored to be the first Westerner to be invited by L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) to perform Indian classical music with him. His compositions for woodwind quintet, pedal harp, classical guitar, pipa, piano, and percussion of India and Mesoamerica continue to be performed in the Americas and Europe."
SCHIMMEL CENTER
PACE UNIVERSITY
MORE REVIEWS
L. SHANKAR - composer, violinist, vocalist
"Garcia’s drumming cut through, complemented, and grounded the reverberating echoes of L. Shankar’s masterful slides on the violin throughout the hall. ... Highlights included Garcia’s percussion solo in the fifth composition, in which he built upon various rhythms for several uninterrupted minutes, beating tabla, kanjira and ghatam, including tapping his face to a fascinating effect..... "
WESLEYAN ARGUS
"Christopher Garcia is a critically acclaimed percussionist, composer, performer, ethnomusicologist, and multi-instrumentalist ……he is known in different circles for various reasons: either as a composer or performer either on drum set, percussion instruments of North and South India, marimba, or instruments of indigenous Mexico/Mesoamerica….. he had the privilege of receiving a full scholarship at California Institute of the Arts where he studied tabla with Pandit Taranath Rao, Leonice Shinneman, and Swapan Chaudhuri, and tabla , ghatam and kanjira with John Bergamo. In 1976, his mentor John Bergamo was asked to perform with Shakti in Canada and 40 years later Christopher was honored to be the first Westerner to be invited by L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) to perform Indian classical music with him. His compositions for woodwind quintet, pedal harp, classical guitar, pipa, piano, and percussion of India and Mesoamerica continue to be performed in the Americas and Europe."
SCHIMMEL CENTER
PACE UNIVERSITY
MORE REVIEWS
