Smita Dhuldhoya

I am a licensed Civil Engineer in the State of California and worked 36 years as a Civil Engineer. I retired at the end of 2022 to focus on hobbies I could not fully pursue during my career including Bollywood dance, Classical Kuchipudi, singing, marathons, Triathlons, Toastmasters, Book club etc. Learning the Tabla was never on my bucket list until I attended FOT 2023. I was mesmerized by artists of all ages playing various instruments, but the tabla instantly captured my attention. I loved listening to and watching artists play tabla ever since I was young. I have attended several concerts of Ustad Zakir Husain ji in Southern California. In fact I encouraged my son to learn tabla from Rupesh Kotecha while he was in high school which he did before he moved out of state to pursue his undergraduate schooling. After attending FOT 2023, I was inspired to learn tabla. I reached out to Rupesh asking him if I could still learn tabla, even I was about to become a grandma. His answer was "Of Course". And that's how my tabla journey began in September 2023. At first, I was nervous and frustrated as I could not remember the Bols or produce sound on Tabla. But once I got a hang of it, my excitement grew. Rupesh's patient teaching and Mona's constant encouragement made learning much easier. I am grateful to Rupesh and Mona for giving me this opportunity to perform at FOT 2025. Extremely excited to showcase what I have learned so far.