One of the undisputed masters of the 20th century, Thirakwa became a legend in his own lifetime. The first player to be honoured with prestigious government awards, and the first player to be filmed playing solo in 1936 (the picture at left is a still from that film), Thirkawa did much to change society's view of what it was to be a tabla artist and not just artisan (to use Daniel Neuman's distinction). In this clip from a solo recorded by Jnan Prakash Ghosh in Calcutta in 1957, Thirakwa plays a gat he made famous, and which he likely composed (although there are other versions that are claimed to be older). Even though the recording lacks a good deal of clarity, one senses both the humour and the drama in his playing.

More information and audio on early recordings of Thirakwa.

Simla House CD of wonderful recording from 1964 of Thirakwa .