Surdarshan Chana

Dhrupad Hindustani Percussion Jori Tabla

Surdarshan Chana

3 minute read

Surdarshan Chana is a distinguished tabla and jori artist rooted in the Benares and Punjab gharanas. Based in London, he embodies a deep understanding of traditional percussive aesthetics, enriched by his role as an educator at the Barbican’s Darbar Academy. Over the years, he has developed a versatile style that balances purity of lineage with a modern sensibility, making him a prominent figure in UK-based Indian classical percussion.

He has accompanied acclaimed artists across Hindustani music, particularly sarangi maestros like Sandeep Mishra and sitar maestros in Darbar concerts. Critics praise his nuanced textural interplay and confident rhythm, seamlessly blending the robust Benares beat tradition with expressive Punjab-style phrasing. He is also active in promoting percussion through workshops and collaborations across the UK, fostering a vibrant classical music community.

At the Darbar Festival 2007, Surdarshan Chana delivered a standout tabla solo (in Teental) accompanied by Sandeep Mishra on sarangi and Rajveer Singh on harmonium. His performance, deeply informed by his Benares and Punjab training, was noted for its rich textures, spiritual depth in the Shiv Padhan, and balanced intrigue in cross-genre compositions—earning praise for its expressive clarity and rhythmic brilliance. He returned to the Darbar stage many times since, including in recent years, providing masterful jori accompaniment to sitar virtuoso Shakir Khan in 2023, where his rhythmic support was highlighted for enhancing the melodic flow of Raag Yaman.

Darbar believes in the power of Indian classical music to stir, thrill, and inspire. Explore our YouTube channel or subscribe to the Darbar Player to watch extended festival performances, talks, and documentaries in pristine HD and UHD quality.

Explore all our live and on-demand music courses guided by world-class maestros. From beginners taking their first steps to advanced students refining their craft, our globally accessible platform empowers you to learn, grow, and connect deeply with the tradition of Indian classical music

Pandit Ram Mallick & Samit Mallick | Dhrupad | Full Concert

Recorded at Darbar Festival 2017, on 11th November, at Lilian Bayliss Studio, Sadler's Wells, London. Musicians: - Pandit Ram Kumar Mallick (Dharbanga Dhrupad) - Samit Mallick (Dharbanga Dhrupad) - Surdarshan Chana (Jori) - Seetal Dhadyalla (Tanpura) - Keertan Reha (Tanpura) The Darbhanga tradition of dhrupad gayaki combines melody, rhythm and poetry to create a powerful style. It follows two schools of dhrupad syllables - the Khandarvani and Gauharvani that synthesize the poetry and melody into an astounding interpretation of dhrupad through intense rhythmic elaboration. Pandit Ram Kumar Mallick and Samit Mallick are leading exponents of this gharana. In this Director’s Cut concert, they present two morning ragas – Lalit and Bhairav. Lalit is elaborated with a patient alap that gradually reveals its texture, first in the lower octave and then unfolds one note at a time over the middle octave. With a combination of Khandarvani and Gauharvani syllables, a linear pulse is introduced wherein, ample emphasis is laid on the lower tetra chord - the hot-bed on which Lalit unfurls its wings for flight. The pulse quickens, introducing the jod. Pandit Mallick’s voice has a husky charm which couples with Samit’s energy and groove to lay out an intricate design of the jhalla in Darbhanga style. Their crisp delivery of the syllables along with heavy-set and meend-based gamaks build the rendition into an intense, condensed body that embodies the raga, technique and soul in apposite measures. The composition in Lalit is set to a 12-beat cycle of Chaar taal. Surdarshan Chana joins in with a powerful and irresistibly mystique sound of the jori. His highly intuitive and poised accompaniment transforms the listener’s experience into one of transcendence. With spontaneous improvisation of the poetry around energetic rhythmic structures interwoven into the 12-beat cycle, the Mallicks make this piece immersive for the mind and soul. This is followed by a dhamar in the same raga in 14 beats. The Mallicks give a glowing and extraordinary rendition of this composition with a potent combination of diligent vocal ornamentations and laykari. The next raga, Bhairav, is first expanded in the same format as before, only this time, they stick to brevity and let go of the jhalla in the introductory section. The composition in a 10-beat cycle of Sool taal is conditioned with stately delivery of lyrics in buoyant gamaks over a primordial edifice of pure notes and dramatic delivery. Chana’s support is unfaltering and steady. He disarms with dynamism as he blends with the deeply rhythmic nature of the Darbhanga delivery and softens his thekas according to the demand of the vocals. As artistic director of Darbar Sandeep Virdee puts it, the enormity and diversity of Indian classical music is such that it is possible for us to present just the tip of the iceberg in one festival. But the highly evolved and remarkably transcendental Dhrupad is the genre that steals everyone’s heart every year.