Badal Roy
IndiaBiography of Badal Roy
Badal Roy is an Indian musician, a master of playing the tabla, an Indian percussion instrument, and a percussionist known for his works in jazz, ethnic, and experimental music genres. He was born as Amarendra Roy Chowdhury in 1945 in the Comilla district of Bengal, India. Today, this region is a part of modern-day Bangladesh. Roy's family was Hindu, but Eastern Bengal, both presently and historically a region of India, was predominantly populated by Muslims. He is fluent in Bengali and English, as well as Hindi and Urdu.
Roy's father was a government servant who eventually rose to the position of a minister. His childhood nickname, Badal, which means 'rain', 'cloud', and 'thunder' in Bengali, was given to him by his grandfather after the young boy cried during a rainstorm.
Early Influences and Education
One of Roy's earliest sources of inspiration was American popular music, particularly the songs of Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, and Nat King Cole. He was introduced to jazz at a concert by Duke Ellington and his 60-member orchestra at the Metropole Hotel in Karachi in 1959. Interestingly, Roy and his brother were the only local attendees, while the rest of the audience consisted of white people.
Roy obtained a master's degree in statistics from the university. In 1968, he came to New York City to defend his doctoral thesis, with only eight dollars in his pocket. He first worked as a dishwasher in an Indian restaurant, gradually working his way up to become a waiter at establishments like 'Taste of India' and 'Raga.' Eventually, he settled in East Brunswick Township, New Jersey.
Music Career
Badal Roy started playing the tabla at the age of 10 or 11, learning from his uncle. In New York, he performed with Steve Gorn at the 'Raga' restaurant in Manhattan and caught the attention of Miles Davis, who invited Roy to join his orchestra. Roy recorded albums with Davis, including 'On the Corner' (1972), 'Big Fun' (1969–1972; 1974), and 'Get Up with It' (1970–1974). Later, he collaborated with numerous renowned jazz musicians, including Dave Liebman, Pharoah Sanders, John McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Herbie Mann, Pat Metheny, Lester Bowie, Airto Moreira, Charlie Haden, Yoko Ono, and Ornette Coleman – Roy played in Coleman's group 'Prime Time'. In the 90s, he performed with the Brazilian guitar duo 'Duofel' and formed the international trio 'Alankar' with Ken Wessel and Stomu Takeishi, releasing the album 'Daybreak.'
Badal Roy is a sought-after performer and workshop leader at international music festivals such as 'RhythmFest,' 'Starwood Festival,' and 'SpiritDrum Festival.' He frequently plays with harpist and drummer Muruga Booker in 'The Global Village Ceremonial Band' and pianist Michael Wolff and his group 'Impure Thoughts.' In 2004, Roy collaborated with Richie Havens on the album 'The Grace of the Sun.' In the first half of 2006, he traveled to Japan to perform at a concert dedicated to the memory of his recently deceased sound engineer and close friend, David Baker.
Apart from the tabla, Roy plays various percussion instruments, including shakers, bells, rainsticks, and flexatone. In 2008, the album 'Miles From India,' in which Roy participated, was nominated for a Grammy Award. Unlike most tabla players, Roy did not come from a family of musicians and is essentially self-taught. This has undoubtedly influenced his playing style, making him more free-spirited than traditional tabla musicians who strictly adhere to Indian rhythms.
