BIOGRAPHY

Accredited radio artist Jay Dabgar, born in the family of tabla makers, learnt tabla for almost 18 years from his Gurus Late Pt. Nandan Mehta and Pt. Pooran Maharaj at the famous Saptak School Of Music, India. Jay accompanied many great artists and have won National level competitions in India.

Jay plays with many different artists from different backgrounds in Indian Classical, Semi Classical, Fusion and World music in Australia and have been teaching tabla and other percussion at his centre “Melbourne School of Indian Music”.

TAALEEM

DELHI-AJRADA-GHARANA STYLE

Jay’s learning in Tabla started at the age of 4 under the mentorship of Shree Divyang Vakil, a disciple of three prominent maestros of Tabla ; late Pt Sudhirkumar Saxena of Ajrada-Gharana, late Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan of the Delhi-Gharana and late Ustad Alla Rakha, the doyen of Punjab-Gharana.

BENARAS-GHARANA STYLE

By the age of 9, Jay started going to the Saptak School of Music, in order to further his training. At this institution, he received Taleem (vigorous training) of Tabla-playing in the Benaras-Gharana style.

Dada Guru Late Pt Kishan Maharaj had an enormous amount of influence towards the style of Tabla-playing taught at Saptak. Hence, Jay got trained in the Benaras-Gharana style, by his gurus late Pt Nandan Mehta and Pt Puran Maharaj.

GURUS

“Guru is the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance and bestows knowledge in his disciples. I am very grateful to my respected Gurus late Pt Nandan Mehta, Pt Pooran Maharaj, Smt Manju Mehta and Shree Divyang Vakil, who imbibed in me the strong desire to pursue Indian Music and the Tabla. It is surely, owing to their blessings and teaching, that I got an opportunity to acquaint myself, learn and love my instrument!”

AWARDS

Solo & accompanying performances – Saptak Annual Festival, India, 1997, 1999, 2000, 01,03, 04, 06,10
Received scholarship from the Government of India, Ministry of Culture, in the field of Hindustani Instrumental Classical music – Tabla, 2006
Stood first in the Inter-University, Inter-Zonal & Inter-State Youth Festivals, 2001, 2002, 2003,2004
Soloist in the Mewaati Gharanaa concert held by Padma Vibhushan Pt. Jasraj, 2004
Awarded the 'Pt. Nikhil Ghosh Memorial Promising Artiste Award', by Pt. Aneesh Pradhan, 2002
'Best Performer – Sarva Shreshth Saadhak Award' in Pt. Omkarnath Thakur Competition, 2002
Honoured as a 'B' Grade Artist in Percussion Instrument at the All India Radio, 2002
Awarded First Prize in the All India Radio Competition, 2002
Won the National Youth Festival, Benaras, in Classical Percussion Instrument category, 2001
Honoured with the Purusharth Gaurav Award, 1999
Stood first in Pt. Omkarnath Thakur Competition, 1999
Won the National Youth Festival (Yuva Mahotsav), Chennai, for Tabla Solo, 1998

PERFORMANCES

UPCOMING EVENT

Mystical Music of The Mountains

Date: 24 Feb 2023 Friday | Time: 7 to 9 PM

Venue: Clayton Community Centre

Cnr Cooke St and Centre Rd. Clayton Victoria 3168

BUY, REPAIR AND HIRE

Jay’s family has been running a business of manufacturing and repairing Indian musical instruments under the name of “New Dattatray Tabla Stores” in Ahmedabad, India, for more than 12 decades.