Cherubic tabla prodigy captures hearts at Games

Keshav says he was happy during his performance at opening ceremony

With a toothy grin and curly locks framing a cherubic face, the shy prodigy kept shaking his head spontaneously as his  face wreathed in smiles while he kept beat to percussionists at the “Rhythms of India” segment at the inaugural ceremony.

Accompanied by his mother Gopika, her partner Nadaka and Bharat Bala, the creative director of the Games ceremony, Keshav at his first press conference at the Main Press Centre here responded with the same equanimity he displayed during the opening.
“I was happy,” said the young master replying to queries about how he felt during his performance.

Gently prompted by his singer-photographer-painter mother Gopika, Keshav responded with one-liners about his “one month long” practice sessions and his observation of the “chairs” at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

“He liked this one blue chair right at the top of the stadium and kept asking me whether he would get to sit on it after the performance,” said Gopika.
Based in Auroville near Puducherry, both Keshav and his elder sister Kamakshi, who plays the piano, have been self-taught.

“Keshav is very much into rhythm. He has been playing since he was three years old.  He has grown up watching us and other musicians playing and copies them exactly when he comes back. It is like he has some memory from the past,” said Keshav’s mother.
Grandson of Prafulla Dahanukar, Keshav, says his mother, has also picked up instinctively by observing the Basavraj musician duo who visit the family often.

Gopika and her companion Nadaka, composer-guitarist of Canadian-origin live in Auroville where they conduct chanting classes and perform in concerts around the world.

Hobbies

Apart from the tabla, Keshav  loves swimming and cycling and “cannot leave his cycle for even for a single day,” says Nadaka, who fell in love with Indian instruments 30 years ago and has since been living in India. 

An avid reader of Dr Suess’ stories, he loves Snowhite and his innocence can steal your heart at first glance. “He loves the Snowhite fairytale, especially the part where stepmother transforms into the wicked witch... he likes all forms of transformations, he wants to transform things,” said Gopika, who adds that there is no TV in their house.