Percussionist Djembe Drum Player

Living and working out of Goregaon East is mostly about managing the noise, especially when you live in a place like Sri Gannnu Kavalu Manasmoti Cooperative Housing. My life as a percussionist and djembe drum player means my flat is usually full of sound. Most of my time is spent with my instruments, practicing rhythms or getting ready for a performance somewhere in the city. The neighbors are mostly understanding, though I try not to play too late in the evening when people are trying to sleep. My room is basically filled with different drums and percussion gear, which does not leave much space for anything else like a regular living room. Sometimes I have students come over to learn a few beats, and the whole house starts vibrating with the sound of the skins. It is a very manual kind of life, just me and the goat-skin heads of the drums. I do not have a marketing team or a fancy studio, just a corner of my flat where the acoustics are decent enough for practice. Sometimes I take the drums down to the common area if there is a small gathering or a festival in the society. It is just about the music and the feel of the wood and skin under my hands. Goregaon can be quite busy outside the gates, but inside the housing complex, it stays quiet enough for me to hear the subtle tones.