This tiny shop in Hyderabad is continuing century-old legacy

Hyderabad: They say music is sometimes the only medicine that the soul needs. While musicians and singers are often renowned for making our lives vivacious with their tunes, the work and the history of artisans behind the making of instruments that make the music are seldom appreciated. Amidst the cacophony of sounds produced in the […]

Hyderabad: They say music is sometimes the only medicine that the soul needs. While musicians and singers are often renowned for making our lives vivacious with their tunes, the work and the history of artisans behind the making of instruments that make the music are seldom appreciated. Amidst the cacophony of sounds produced in the chaotic Afzal Gunj area of the old city is a 112-year-old tiny humble shop— Akber Miya & Brothers— that still strives to provide the right tones for its customers.

Established by Akber Miya in 1910, the shop makes world-class tablas and boasts of a clientele that includes Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Jasraj, Anindo Chatterjee, and many other big names from the music industry. After the demise of Akber’s son Yousuf, the three generational family legacy is now taken care of Akber’s five grandsons— Akber (named after his grandfather), Azhar, Nayeem, Athar and Ismail.

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However, Akber and Azhar have found two other branches of the same shop at Santosh Nagar and Baba Nagar in the city, and maintain the same quality. The shop at Afzal Gunj is managed by the other three grandsons of Akber.

Hard work & patience “Tabla making is an art form and includes a lot of hard work and patience. Right from cutting to size, preparing the sheets of hide and smoothening to boring holes along the diameter, through which straps passed for pulltuning, carving out the edges to filling the black circular center (Syahi or karni) to hammering away Puri —the head of twin drums (Daya— the smaller, highpitched drum and Baya — the bigger bass drum) to tuning it to the right pitch, it takes 18 hours over a week to make the finest pair of percussion instruments,” explains 57-year-old craftsman Nayeem, who has been making tablas since he was 14.

The Syahi — the black patch in the center of the Puri, plays a crucial role in the heavenly sound of tabla.

“While the Daya should have an open, clear, ringing,sweet tone, the Baya must produce a deep, basal, open ‘ghum’ sound, explains Nayeem. Gajendra Shewalker, a renowned tabla guru from the city and a customer of Akber Miya & Brothers since 1984, states that the tabla quality from the shop is unmatched and that they have earned a name for themselves even abroad.

“I have been their customer since my childhood. Nobody can make tablas like they do. I’ve travelled theworld and have seen musicians using their instruments in countries like Australia, Russia and the United States. A large per cent of musicians in Hyderabad have their instruments,” the tabla teacher said.

Continuing legacy However, Nayeem laments the fading glory of Hindustani music culture in the city. Adding that the remuneration is no longer commensurate with the kind of hard work that goes into the making of a tabla, he says that they never wanted to commercialise the business keeping in mind their grandfather’s legacy and is not sure about the next generation of kids carrying forward the family tradition.