Kanthe Maharaj was a doyen of the Benares tradition, and the teacher of many famous Benarasi players including his nephew Kishan Maharaj (b. 1923) who is also the most faithful to Kanthe Maharaj's musical aesthetic. Hailing from a vast clan of hereditary musicians and dancers, the Kathaks of eastern UP, Kanthe Maharaj learned from an "uncle" Baldeo Sahai (1872-c.1927). There is a strong pakhavaj influence in his playing, and a concomitant weightiness in his bols that inspires awe. In this clip, a solo set in rudra tal (11 counts), Kanthe Maharaj takes a quasi improvisatory approach to the creation of what in pakhavaj would be called mohras or possibly small tukras: fragmentary pieces with tihais. This is a very sam-oriented segment (i.e., time and again the musical thrust is focused on getting to the sam). Occasionally one hears little hints of his "lion's roar" bayan playing: this has become an inherent feature of the style of many Benarasi tabla players.

Photos of Kanthe Maharaj on a nice website by Shen Flindell dedicated to the memory of his guru, Kaviraj Asutosh Bhattacharya (Asu Babu, 1917-2004).