Aloke Dutta is an established Bengali

Bengali people

The Bengali people are an ethnic community native to the historic region of Bengal in South Asia. They speak Bengali , which is an Indo-Aryan language of the eastern Indian subcontinent, evolved from the Magadhi Prakrit and Sanskrit languages. In their native language, they are referred to as বাঙালী...

 tabla

Tabla

The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...

 player.

Aloke has become an important figure in modern music, having taught some of the most influential drummers of our time. He is very selective with his students.

His pupils include Danny Carey

Danny Carey

Daniel Edwin "Danny" Carey is an American drummer best known for his work in American Grammy Award-winning rock band Tool...

, Terry Bozzio

Terry Bozzio

Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...

, Pat Mastelotto

Pat Mastelotto

Pat Mastelotto is a rock drummer who has worked with Mr. Mister and King Crimson, amongst others. For King Crimson he initially formed part of the "double trio" lineup, joining Bill Bruford on drums...

, Joe Porcaro

Joe Porcaro

Joseph Porcaro is an American jazz drummer, percussionist and educator....

, Simon Phillips

Simon Phillips

Simon Phillips is an English jazz, pop and rock drummer.-Career:Phillips began to play professionally at the age of twelve in his father's Dixieland band for four years. He was then offered the chance to play in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar...

, Roy Wooten, and Aaron Harris

Aaron Harris (Isis drummer)

Aaron Harris is an American drummer, best known for his career with Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band Isis. He was with the band from its inception in 1997 to its dissolution in 2010...

.

In January 2008, Aloke Dutta suffered a massive heart attack while visiting his parents in India. He underwent a complex and risky grafting bypass procedure. news link

Aloke has fully recovered and has returned to teaching full time. In January 2011 he will begin teaching online.