'Indian tabla players more popular abroad'

Kolkata, Dec 26: The tabla, a key percussion instrument in Indian classical music, is gaining in popularity across the world and players are respected globally, whereas the trend in India is reverse, leading tabla exponents said here Friday. Maestros Swapan Chaudhuri and Samar Saha highlighted the fact that tabla, a prominent accompaniment in Indian classical music, contributes equally to music. "It is as important as any other instrument and people globally respect and recognise tabla artists. But in India, it is not so," said the director of percussion at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California.