Ustad Shabbir Nisar has accompanied most of the eminent musicians of Indian Classical music today Including Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Haleem Jaffer Khan, Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Munawar Ali Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Ustad Shaheed Parvez, Smt. Malini Rajurkar, Smt. Laxmi Shankar, Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee, Ustad Nishad Khan, Irshad Khan, A.R. Goutam, Pandit Giriraj, Pandit Uma Shankar Mishra etc., His tabla solo performance is a mirror onto the by gone days of the renaissance of tabla whose outstanding exponents include Ustad Siddhar Khan of Delhi as well as Miyan Bakhshu Khan, Ustad Modu Khan, Haji Vilayat Hussain Khan, Salari Miyan etc. His style is indicative and of his constant efforts to maintain an effortless technique, an appreciation of tonal quality, and a constant exhibition of rare and authentic compositions from the treasuries of the great tabla and pakhawaj masters of yester years. His solo performances have enraptured connoisseurs and music lovers alike wherever he has performed.
Since 1997 he has visited United States every year. His style of teaching is to nurture tabla players are adept at accompanying all styles of music as well as playing tabla solo in the grand tradition that is tabla. Today, he has about 100 disciples all over the world, many of whom are professional tabla players.
Ustad Shabbir Nisar's vast repertoire of composition from Delhi, Purab (Lucknow and Farrukhabad), Ajrada and Punjab gharanas, as well as his mastery over some difficult and rare "Gats" make him one of the foremost tabliyas of the present time. His playing of the 'dugga', or bayan, is traditional and full of flashes of brilliance and reminiscent of his late father who was known for his expressive and powerful bayan playing.
He inherited so much knowledge from his father that he does not hesitate in saying that, "the tabla , which I play, is the tabla which was created by the great masters over the last three hundred years.
Nothing has been modified. My father gave me so much tabla compositions, including hundreds
of his own, that until today I only play about 10% of it. However, even with this 10% mastered, I can play just the gats four to five hours and compositions starting with any tabla syllable." Even though Ustad Shabbir Nisar is also continuously adding to the universe of tabla by composing many new pieces including rela, gat, chakradar etc.
He is the founder of 'Ustad Shaik Dawood Academy of Music' in Hyderabad, India. It is an ambitious project devoted to research, preservation and promotion of the rich tradition of tabla that he has inherited from his great legendary father Ustad Shaik Dawood.
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