Dilzafer Singh

Dilzafer Singh is considered one of the foremost young tabla and jori virtuosos on the global stage. Singh’s musical odyssey began at age 4 and was marked by his early engagement with the Sikh kirtan tradition, consisting of both singing and playing various instruments in classical ragas. It did not take long for him to fall in love with the intricate rhythms of the tabla. He started learning the tabla from Bhai Amritpal Singh, disciple of Pandit Shushil Kumar Jain. Singh also learned from Ustad Aditya Kalyanpur, disciple of the late Ustad Allah Rakha Khan and living legend Ustad Zakir Hussain. Soon, Singh was accepted under the tutelage of tabla maestro Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, further expanding his mastery. In his continued exploration, Singh has also committed himself to the jori, the predecessor of the tabla and a dying art, in an endeavor to delve deeper into the rich heritage of Sikh instruments and the Punjab Gharana. He is privileged to be learning the jori from Ustad Sukhvinder “Pinky,” a maestro of both the Punjab and Banaras Gharanas. As a prominent musician in Boston’s vibrant music scene and a rising senior at the Groton School, Singh’s influence extends beyond just performing; he has recently been dedicating his time and efforts to research in the academic field of Hindustani ethnomusicology. His forthcoming paper focuses on the influence of South Asian theological conceptions on the aesthetics and praxis of Hindustani rhythm.