Suresh Talwalkar

Taalyogi Pandit Suresh Talwalkar (born 1948) is an Indian musician who plays the percussion instrument Tabla.

Talwalkar was born in 1948 into a Marathi family in Chembur, Mumbai.

He belongs to the Keertankar family of Shri Dholebuva.

Keertana being a classical form of devotional and musical discourse, a liking for the classical music was inculcated in him right in the childhood.

He initially learned playing the tabla from his father Dattatrey Talwalkar.

He was trained under the tutelage of i.e. his gurus were Pandit Pandharinath Nageshkar, Pandit Vinayakrao Ghangrekar, Pandit Gajananbuva Joshi, Pandit Nivruttibuva Sarnaik and Ramkrishna Dholebuva (and from many others) and studied the rhythm theory of Carnatic music from Pandit Ramnaad Ishvaran.

His style draws from several gharanas (stylistic schools) and he accompanied classical musicians and dancers; Talwalkar frequently used to perform with sarangi player Pandit Ram Narayan since the late 1960s.

He also accompanies classical singer Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar.

He has toured in the United States, Europe, and Africa.

He taught Tabla, Pakhawaj, Western drums, etc. Some of his disciples are Pandit Ramdas Palsule, Pandit Vijay Ghate, etc. Talwalkar was awarded the All India Radio Award in 1966, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2004 and Padma Shri in 2013.

Talwalkar is married to classical singer Vidushi Padma Talwalkar.

They have a daughter, Savani Talwalkar, who is a tabla player, and a son, Mumbai businessman and tabla player Pandit Satyajit Talwalkar.

The title TaalYogi was conferred on Suresh Talwalkar by His Holiness Jagatguru Shankaracharya Shri Vidya Shankar Bharthi, Karveer Peeth, Kolhapur in 2001.