I was born in Wheeling, West Virginia as the son of two Indian immigrants. Yes, I said I was born in West Virginia, crazy, huh? Well for those of you that have actually heard of West Virginia, ... I like to think of it as a little dose of originality... mellow, train-grooves, Johnny Cash, it all had it's place. Now I call the San Francisco Bay Area home.I was initiated by the magic of rhythm at age twelve. I discovered a pair of drumsticks and a snare drum in school (Give it up 4 music class in school!) . When I eventually got a kit of my own I was driven 2 making beats for hours and hours at a time. The primordial spirit of the Drum became the most important thing in my life. Later, in high school I discovered Tabla through the work of one of my teachers, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and his historical collaborations with Mickey Hart and the Diga Rhythm Band, and others. The sound of tabla hit me like no other instrument I had heard before. I have had the great honor to study these drums in depth with my tabla Guru, the great Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, for the past seven years. He is a true master of these drums and his dedication to teaching is unsurpassed. I have also been blessed & inspired by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and the Ali Akbar Khan School of Music. I have had the honour of accompanying Ali Akbar Khan Sahib for his vocal and instrumental classes. Of course, the place that the drum holds on earth would not be what it was if it were not for Africa and the African Diaspora. Therefore, I am grateful 2 my teachers and colleagues Adetobi Greg Jackson, Michael Oludari, Val Serrant, and Greg Bandy for their roots and culture.Though tradition is crucial, my personal quest as a musician embraces the ever evolving future of the planet. Music can effectivelly dismantle rigid belief systems, hostility, personal stress and karmic accumulations. My work whether it involves recording, performing or teaching continuously reinforces this reality... Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, my current collaborations are with Tina Malia, Liquid Gardens (ft. Levi Chen), Eliyahu Sills & The Qadim Ensemble, Shimshai, & The J.P. Cutler Band. I also often find myself in ecstatic devotion playing along side artists such as Bhagavan Das, Suzanne Sterling and Geoffrey Gordon. Please check out these links to find out more about these projects www.liquidgardens.com www.myspace.com/liquidgardens www.eliyahusills.com www.jpcutler.com www.suzannesterling.com----Peace though Music,---- Jason 'Shivarasta' Parmar
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