Tabla


 Ustad Shaik Dawood was born on 16th of December 1916 in Sholapur. His father Shaik Hashim Saheb was a draughts man in PWD, Bijapur.

Right from the age of 3 years, he showed keen interest towards music and rhythm. The indulgent father purchased for his three years old son a small pair of tabla and a tasha to play with. His father takes him to dramas regularly. The dramas in those days were entirely musical and this had a profound influence on Dawood Saheb. His grasping powers were such that he would be able to render the songs that he had heard the previous night.

At the age of 8 years, Dawood Saheb was initiated into vocal music and rudiments of tabla by Ameer Quawwal, a classical vocalist and traditional Natiya Quawwal of Sholapur. Ustad Khasim saheb who was a Zamindar of Sholapur and SUFI by nature used to organize spiritual is courses every Thursday. Ameer Quawwal used to sing Quawalis and Dawood used to sing and play tabla. It was at these meetings that Dawood Saheb used to come into contact with Ustad Khasim Saheb. Those were the days when the Ustad never took anyone as a disciple readily. Inspite of constant meetings for four years, Khasim Saheb did not accept him as a student but instead suggested that Dawood should learn vocal music and if needed, he would recommend him to Ustad Abdul Karim Khan. Dawood persisted with this request to teach him tabla. Then one day when Dawood was 12 years old, Khasim Saheb said, "OK, I will teach you a Gat and if you play it well, I will take you as my disciple". The Gat was
DHINA GIDA     NAGA DHINA     DHAGE TRAKA     TOONA KATHA
TAKITA TA     KITA DHAGE     TRAKA DHINA     GHIDA NAGA
GHINA KATA     GHE GHE NAGA     DHINA TOONA     KIDA NAGA
TAKA DHINA     TAKA DHINA     DHAGE TRAKA     TOONA KATHA

Dawood Saheb sat the whole night and practiced it hard and rendered the Gat the next day to the fullest satisfaction of Ustad Khasim Saheb. Thus, at the age of 12, Dawood Saheb became his disciple.

Ustad Khasim Saheb always called himself an amateur musician who attained some fame in the region as a tabla accompanist with vocal music and sitar. Many of the artists of ester years like Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Pandit Bhaskar Bua Bakhle, Ustad Shabbu Khan and the tabla Nawaz of Hyderabad Ustad All Dia Khan were his very close friends. Ustad Mohammed Khasim was a great patron and connoisseur of music, besides being very knowledgeable about tabla. His gurus were Ustad Ali Dad Khan of Gaya and Ustad Tajammul Hussain of Benaras.

One of the most important contributions of Mohammed Khasim is the technique of using thumb to produce the soft 'gamak' on the dugga. This technique is better understood and appreciated by the students of tabla. This unique technique was further improved and perfected by Dawood Saheb. The beauty of this technique unfolds while rendering Peshkara, Laggis, Relas (particularly the ultas and sultas ) and the teen taal theka is made to resemble "a well oiled village oil mill". This is how the eminent sitar maestro Ustad Imrat Hussain Khan described the theka played by Ustad Shaik Dawood.

THE ART OF UNOBSTRUSIVE ACCOMPANIMENT WAS INGRAINED INTO DAWOOD SAHEB EARLYON DURING THE TRAINING AND BY THE TIME HE WAS 18 YEARS, HE WAS GIVING ACCOMPANIMENT TO VERY REPUTED MUSICIAN FRIENDS OF KHASIM SAHEB WHO USED TO FREQUENT TO SHOLAPUR. USTAD ABDUL KARIM KHAN TOOK A SPECIAL LIKING TO DAWOOD SAHEB'S ACCOMPANIMENT. IN RETROSPECT, ACCOMPANIMENT TO VOCAL MUSICIANS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF HIS CAREER, PERHAPS GAVE DAWOOD SAHEB IMMENSE CONTROL OVER THE 'VILAMBIT LAYA " HOWEVER SLOW THE THEKA IS.

During this period Dawood Saheb also use to go to Tuljapur where he regularly attends the Saturday music gathering at Tulja Bhavani Mandir which the Pujari of the Mandir organize, here on one Saturday the Sub Registrar of Tuljapur Janab M.A. Raoof gave his light classical vocal concert with Dawood Saheb accompaniment on Tabla. THIS IS THE DAY WHEN SOMETHING HAS BEEN CHANGED IN DAWOOD SAHEB'S LIFE, AS JANAB M.A. RAOOF WAS A GREAT SINGER OF HIS TIME AND A PROMINENT SOCIAL PERSON, HE LIKED DAWOOD SAHEB'S TABLA SO MUCH THAT HE NEVER SING WITH ANY OTHER TABLIYA FOR REST OF HIS LIFE (only if Dawood Saheb is not available he takes someone else).

At the age of 19 years Dawood Saheb was invited to accompany some eminent artistes by Mr. M.A. Raoof, Program Executive of Hyderabad Radio Station. (Private Radio Station at the time) Both Mr. Raoof and Mr. Roshan Ali moljee,Music Director at the Radio Station were impressed by Dawood Saheb's Accompaniment he used to make frequent trips to Hyderabad from Sholapur to provide tabla accompaniment to artistes performing on Hyderabad Radio. Such was the demand that Dawood Saheb was persuaded to shift to Hyderabad in 1937 and was offered a permanent job in Hyderabad Radio.

Within months Hyderabad Radio was taken over by the Nizam from the private hands and it became a state institution under Nawab Ali Yavar Jung who was a great connoisseur of music. Under his patronage and that of Nawab Zaheer Jung Bahadur, Minister in charge of religious and cultural affairs, all great musicians at that time were invited and Dawood Saheb provided tabla accompaniment to all these artistes. Such rich experience for a tabla artiste of accompanying so many reputed musicians from all over the sub-continent perhaps remains UNPARALLELED .In fact Dawood Saheb has given tabla accompaniment to artistes of THREE GENERATIONS.

The musicians whom Dawood Saheb has accompanied during his glorious career spanning over 58 years include Ustad Abdul Karim Khansaheb.

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