Viral Mehta

Viral first started learning Tabla at the age of 9, under the tutelage of Shri Parshuram Bhorvani ji at The Sangeet Academy Rajkot, Gujarat. He was also very fortunate to get blessings and guidance from Shri Sudhir Kumar Saksena, a leading exponent of Ajarada Gharana. In his early days of Taalim, Viral had the privilege of learning compositions from the Farukabaad, Delhi and Ajarada traditions and had opportunity to participate in Pandit Omkarnath Thakur Music festival more than once.

After continuing the musical journey for 8 years at the academy, Viral went on to pursue career in Medicine and ultimately moved to Southern California to pursue advanced training and practice of Interventional Cardiology. Although tuning up the rhythms of his patients’ hearts kept Viral very busy, he always remained very passionate for Tabla

On one day in summer of 2019, Viral received a very interesting call; this time it was not a call from a patient, but one from his friend inviting him to attend the Festival of Tabla. Attending the festival and listening to the great Maestros like Sapan Da, Anindo Ji and Ustaad Taari Khan saab so up close, inspired Viral to pick up from where he had left off in 1978. After nearly a 40-year hiatus Viral resumed his musical journey once again, this time under the tutelage of one of the foremost exponents of Punjab Gharana, Aditya Kalyanpur Ji.

Viral feels extremely grateful and fortunate to have been inspired by the Festival of Tabla to resume this wonderful journey of rhythms, and humbly seeks everyone’s best wishes and blessings along the way.