Suphala
Encyclopedia
Suphala is a tabla
artist, composer, and producer. She is a protégé of tabla players Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain
and is based in New York City
.
and raised in the United States by Indian immigrant parents, Suphala has studied music in India. She is trained in both Indian and Western classical music, and has studied piano since the age of four.
In January 2005, Suphala was the first artist (and first female artist) to perform in Afghanistan
after the fall of the Taliban. According to The New York Times
, "Kabul's badly depleted music scene received a welcome injection of excitement last week with the arrival of Suphala, the New York-based tabla player and composer...Suphala certainly brought brightness...her touch and rhythm are sure."
Suphala has recorded and/or performed with Norah Jones
, Perry Farrell
(Jane's Addiction
), Sean Lennon
, Harper Simon
, Yoko Ono
, Edie Brickell
, Vernon Reid
(Living Color), King Britt
, DJ Spooky
, DJ Logic
, DJ Fafu, Vijay Iyer
, 4 Hero
, Lady Ms. Kier (Dee-Lite), Nina Hagen
, Joan Osbourne, Kelly Clarkson
, Timbaland
, Michael Bland
, Yuka Honda
(Cibo Matto
), Vikter Duplaix
, Gingger Shankar, Niladri Kumar
, Ustad Sultan Khan
, Rakesh Chaurasia, Salim Merchant, and Carol C (Si Se).
She is the daughter of Suhas V. Patankar, a pioneer in the field of computational fluid dynamics
.
Her second album, The Now, released May 10, 2005, features contributions from guest artists Norah Jones
, Salim Merchant, Vernon Reid
, actor/singer Antonio Banderas
, and Niladri Kumar
.
Her third album, Blueprint, released 2007, includes the single "I Feel Awake Even Though This Is A Dream", and features contributions from Edie Brickell
, producer King Britt
, Vernon Reid, bansuri player Rakesh Chaurasia, Harper Simon
, Mazz Swift, and David Gotay. New projects include Electrocussion, an electronic percussion duo.
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...
artist, composer, and producer. She is a protégé of tabla players Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain (musician)
Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
and is based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Background
Born in Kitchener, OntarioKitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
and raised in the United States by Indian immigrant parents, Suphala has studied music in India. She is trained in both Indian and Western classical music, and has studied piano since the age of four.
In January 2005, Suphala was the first artist (and first female artist) to perform in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
after the fall of the Taliban. According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "Kabul's badly depleted music scene received a welcome injection of excitement last week with the arrival of Suphala, the New York-based tabla player and composer...Suphala certainly brought brightness...her touch and rhythm are sure."
Suphala has recorded and/or performed with Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell
Perry Farrell is the frontman for the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction. Farrell created the touring festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991; it has since evolved into an annual destination festival. Farrell continues to produce Lollapalooza with partners William...
(Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
), Sean Lennon
Sean Lennon
is an American singer, songwriter, musician, guitarist and actor. He is the only child of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. His godfather is Sir Elton John.-Early life and education:...
, Harper Simon
Harper Simon
Harper James Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is the son of musician Paul Simon and Paul's first wife, Peggy Harper.-Early life:...
, Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
, Edie Brickell
Edie Brickell
Edie Arlisa Brickell is an American singer-songwriter best known for 1988's Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, the debut album by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, which went #4 on the US Albums Chart.-Life and career:...
, Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...
(Living Color), King Britt
King Britt
King Britt is an American DJ and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.King Britt is his actual legal name.- 1987: Tower Records Years :...
, DJ Spooky
DJ Spooky
Paul D. Miller , known by his stage name DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics or his fans as "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist, a producer, a philosopher, and an author...
, DJ Logic
DJ Logic
DJ Logic is an American turntablist active primarily in jazz and with jam bands.Kibler was born and raised in The Bronx. An early interest in hip hop led to his using the turntables, practicing often. Kibler was also interested in funk and jazz music, and began collaborating with various musicians...
, DJ Fafu, Vijay Iyer
Vijay Iyer
Vijay Iyer is a jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, producer, electronic musician, and writer based in New York City.-Biography:Born in 1971 and raised in Rochester, New York, Vijay Iyer is the son of Indian Tamil immigrants to the US. He received 15 years of Western classical training on violin...
, 4 Hero
4 Hero
4hero are an electronic music band from Dollis Hill, northwest London, comprising producers Mark "Marc Mac" Clair & Dennis "Dego" McFarlane. While the band is often cited as "4 Hero" or "4-Hero", the name is presented as "4hero" on their own albums and websites.4hero are known as early pioneers of...
, Lady Ms. Kier (Dee-Lite), Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
, Joan Osbourne, Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop rock singer-songwriter and actress. Clarkson came into prominence after becoming the winner of the inaugural season of the television series American Idol in 2002 and would later become the runner-up in the television special World Idol in 2003.In 2003,...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, Michael Bland
Michael Bland
Michael Bland is best known as a drummer for Prince starting in 1989. He was with Prince during The New Power Generation era and played with him live and on albums for 7 years....
, Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda
Yuka Honda is a Japanese musician who resides in New York City. She is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, record producer, and co-founder of the band Cibo Matto...
(Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto
Cibo Matto are a New York City-based band formed by two Japanese women, Yuka Honda and Miho Hatori, in 1994...
), Vikter Duplaix
Vikter Duplaix
Vikter Duplaix, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ. Duplaix has traditional soul singer’s beginnings – being raised in both Philadelphia and Augusta, Georgia singing in church choirs, and later took work programming drum tracks while working at a Philadelphia...
, Gingger Shankar, Niladri Kumar
Niladri Kumar
Niladri Kumar is an Indian classical and fusion musician. He performed on the sitar from a young age and toured and released albums as an adult. He created a unique instrument, a modified sitar, which he named zitar.-Early life:...
, Ustad Sultan Khan
Ustad Sultan Khan
Ustad Sultan Khan was an Indian sarangi player and singer who performed Hindustani classical music. He was one of the members of the Indian fusion group Tabla Beat Science, with Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell...
, Rakesh Chaurasia, Salim Merchant, and Carol C (Si Se).
She is the daughter of Suhas V. Patankar, a pioneer in the field of computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics
Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...
.
Discography
Instru Mental, Suphala's first album, was released in September 2000.Her second album, The Now, released May 10, 2005, features contributions from guest artists Norah Jones
Norah Jones
Norah Jones is an American singer-songwriter and occasional actress.In 2002, she launched her solo music career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album Come Away With Me, which was certified a diamond album in 2002, selling over 20 million copies...
, Salim Merchant, Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid
Vernon Reid is an English-born American guitarist, songwriter, composer, and bandleader. Best known as the founder and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Living Colour, Reid was named #66 on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.Critic Steve Huey writes, "[Reid's]...
, actor/singer Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
, and Niladri Kumar
Niladri Kumar
Niladri Kumar is an Indian classical and fusion musician. He performed on the sitar from a young age and toured and released albums as an adult. He created a unique instrument, a modified sitar, which he named zitar.-Early life:...
.
Her third album, Blueprint, released 2007, includes the single "I Feel Awake Even Though This Is A Dream", and features contributions from Edie Brickell
Edie Brickell
Edie Arlisa Brickell is an American singer-songwriter best known for 1988's Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, the debut album by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, which went #4 on the US Albums Chart.-Life and career:...
, producer King Britt
King Britt
King Britt is an American DJ and record producer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.King Britt is his actual legal name.- 1987: Tower Records Years :...
, Vernon Reid, bansuri player Rakesh Chaurasia, Harper Simon
Harper Simon
Harper James Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He is the son of musician Paul Simon and Paul's first wife, Peggy Harper.-Early life:...
, Mazz Swift, and David Gotay. New projects include Electrocussion, an electronic percussion duo.
External links
Listening
- Suphala audio
- Suphala interview from Studio 360 program