Collaborators
“Mir Naqibul Islam is one of the most remarkable tabaliyas of the present generation, with whom I have performed many concerts across a variety of platforms. Apart from his training of pristine purity in the traditional repertoire of the ‘Farukkabad’ gharana, he stands out for his very sensitive, intelligent, and creative approach in his playing both as a soloist and an accompanist. Apart from being an outstanding individual performer, he has the rare quality of bringing out the best from his fellow musicians. He is one of those rare musicians who have the potential to be a future trailblazer in his discipline.”
-Pt. Anirban Dasgupta
“Always a delight to play with Mir Naqibul Islam. His tabla is musical and inventive, and brings out the best in my bansuri. In our performances he has skillfully introduced the essentials of tal and tabla to our audiences.”
-Pt. Steve Gorn
Students
“Mir is a patient, kind, and precise teacher who continually impresses me not only by his ability to play but by his skill in breaking down complex techniques and repertoire into a progressive journey. He draws on his deep traditional knowledge in offering a wide variety of exercises in this training, and he helps cultivate not only the knowledge but the enjoyment of this unique musical discipline. The tabla journey is a long one and I cannot imagine undertaking it without Mir as a guide and a friend.”
-Luke Grecki
"Its been about 6 months since I started taking lessons and studying Tabla with Mir. I am a beginner and have never played the Tabla (or any other instrument) before starting with Mir. When I started, I thought it was going to be extremely difficult to simultaneously read, maintain tempo and pace, and play. However, over the past 6 months, I am surprised by the coordination and ability to stay composed while keeping track of the multiple aspects of playing the Tabla. Much of this is because of Mir's strategy and methods of structure for incremental improvement while maintaining his attention to detail. Mir challenges you in different ways and leaves you with a profound sense of growth in learning such a difficult instrument.
On top of being a good person, Mir's sense of precision, hearing and rhythm is astonishing and can pick up on the smallest details that will make huge difference in the long term habits in learning the Tabla. Mir is patient and has a knack for pinpointing your strengths to tackle your weaknesses head-on."
-Nikhil Singh