Mohammad Azhar

Mohammad Azhar is a young folk musician from Malerkothla, near Patiala in Punjab. He plays the Tabla to give beats to the melody of Qawwaali. He is Anwar Ali’s nephew and hails from the famous Rehmat Qawwaal Gharana. As a child, when he used to see his father play along with Anwar Ji, he used to feel deeply connected to the music. Inspired by his elders, he practised day and night to strengthen that connection. He learnt the Tabla from his own father, and dedicated hours daily, to excel in this art form. He was as young as 10 when he first gave his performance. He has been playing with the group for seven years now. He also teaches the Tabla to students, who are from different age groups and nationalities. Children, teenagers and adults, from India, Canada and USA, they all come to Mohammad Azhar to pursue a short term course in the foundation and basics of Tabla playing.