Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed

Zaheer-Abbas Janmohamed is a Toronto-based tabla player, performer, and educator who brings the tradition of tabla to new contexts through his artistic practice and collaborations. He trained in India under Shri. Prafulla Athalye, senior disciple of Ustad Allarakha, and has also studied at the Ustad Allarakha Institute of Music in Mumbai. 

Zaheer-Abbas is a versatile artist who has performed at many of Toronto’s well-known venues and cultural festivals. He is an experienced educator and has taught masterclasses and led workshops on the topic of time and rhythm in Indian Classical (Raga) Music at several Canadian Universities over the last fifteen years. 

Zaheer-Abbas has performed across Canada in a variety of classical, semi-classical, and contemporary musical settings, using the instrument’s sound and theory in composition, sound design, and theatre works. In addition to playing classical solo tabla repertoire, he has also provided accompaniment for many leading artists in the Canadian performing arts landscape, including Ustad Irshad Khan (sitar/surbahar) and Arnab Chakrabarty (sarod).