When I was a teenager, I received a 46-minute tabla solo cassette performed by Pandit Mahapurush Mishra (accompanied by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, which was one of the greatest masters of sarod). All his tabla solo pieces were mesmerizing, but the roopam taal in 8 1/2 matras (yes, eight and a half beats!) was another level of experience in rhythm excellence for me. The main rhythm cycle (theka) of roopam is:
Dhin na | dhin dhin na | tin na | dhi dhi na/2 |
This taal is also known as Upatal Jhampak. - Peyman Nasehpour
Pandit Mahapurush Mishra was a distinguished disciple of Pandit Anokhelal Mishra, a revered master of the tabla. Renowned as a tabla accompanist to many of the foremost musicians of his time, Mahapurush Mishra also served as a professor at the Ali Akbar College of Music in Kolkata, India. During the late 1960s, he spent a significant amount of time in the USA, where he taught, recorded, and performed extensively in numerous classical music concerts. Unfortunately, there are very few recordings of his tabla solos in circulation.
A longtime tabla master and sideman to the stars, Pandit Mahapurush Mishra was Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's principal accompanist for nearly three decades until his passing. He also made notable appearances on the Beatles' B-side of "Lady Madonna," George Harrison's "The Inner Light" (recorded in Bombay in January 1968 with vocal tracks added in London the following month), and Harrison's "Wonderwall" soundtrack.
See a list of tabla masters