Rashid Mustafa Thirakwa

With a performance career that spanned almost a century, Ahmed Jan Thirakwa is perhaps one of the most well-known and respected names in the field of tabla playing. Known for his contribution to popularising tabla solos, Ahmed Jan Thirakwa had also provided tabla accompaniment to four generations of musicians. It is to this lineage that Rashid Mustafa Thirakwa finds himself a proud successor. Having started his training in tabla at the early of seven under his father Mohammad Jan Khan, Rashid Mustafa continued studying with his uncle Ahmed Jan Thirakwa.

Belonging to the Farukhabad tradition of tabla playing, Rashid Mustafa has also imbibed the Delhi, Ajrada, Lucknow, Banaras and Punjab styles. Acknowledged for his solo performances and accompaniment to vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers, Rashid Mustafa is a top grade artiste of the All India Radio and Doordarshan. Frequently featured at prestigious concerts in India and abroad, Rashid Mustafa has been awarded the Thirakwa Award by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in 1984. He also received the Crystal Award from Yehudi Menuhin in Davos, Switzerland.

Several audio releases feature Rashid Mustafa in his capacity as accompanist and soloist