塔尔文·西恩

Talvin Singh (born 1970) is a British Tabla player, musician, producer, and composer. Associated with the Asian Underground movement, his debut album, OK (1998), won the Mercury Music Prize in 1999. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 Birthday Honours for Services to Music. In 2022 he received the Ivor Novello Award for Innovation at The Ivor Composer Awards.

Early life

Talvin Singh was born in Leytonstone, East London. His interest in Tabla began during childhood and he went to India at 16 to learn under Guru Ustad Lachman Singh Seen Punjab Gharana.

Career

He collaborated with artists including Björk, Madonna Sun Ra, Massive Attack, Courtney Pine Blondie, and Siouxsie and the Banshees. Guy SigsworthJay-Z, Terry Riley, John Martyn, Yoko Ono, Courtney Pine, David Sylvian , Future Sound of London, The Indigo Girls, State of Bengal, Ustad Sultan Khan, Rakesh Chaurasia, Niladri Kumar.

Between 1996 and 1999, Talvin Singh, alongside creative producer Sweety Kapoor, and DJ/Music Producer Sam Zaman (aka State of Bengal), hosted Anokha Nights at The Blue Note Club in Hoxton Square, London, showcasing new fusion sounds from predominantly South Asian-Origin artists. In 1997, Talvin Singh released compilation album Anokha - Soundz of the Asian Underground.

In 1998, Talvin Singh released studio album, OK, which won Mercury Prize in 1999. The album took nine months. Traveling worldwide from collaborating with London MCs, folk singers in Okinawa Island Japan, Madras Philharmonic Orchestra in India. Ryuichi Sakamoto supported from the US.

In 2000, worked with Madonna on her eighth album Music. contributing as producer and musician with signature electronic ambient textures and Indian Classical Tabla to the sessions. credited on bonus track Cyber-Raga.

Talvin Singh collaborated and released album 'Vira' with Indian Classical Flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, Vira translates in Hindi as 'brotherhood' representing musical dialogue between two soloists. In 2012 he released Album 'Together' with Master Sitarist Niladri Kumar.

Talvin Singh contributed the track 'Jal' to the collaborative conservation album Simmerdim: Curlew Sounds, released April 29 2022. Project was organised by Merlyn Driver with support from the RSPB Charity, the album features diverse international musicians creating new music inspired by Eurasian Curlew to raise awareness for its conservation . Throughout he has supported charities including Saffron Hall Trust and Blind Children School in India.

Performances

Singh's first major tour was with Lollapalooza. This formed his vision for Tablatronics in the 1990s. Extensive touring continued worldwide to date. This included headlining a major electronic-fusion set at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2001 in Switzerland, performing live at the Miles Davis Hall. The line-up included vocalists Clevland Watkiss and Sagarika Mukherjee, blending heavy club baselines with hyper-speed Tabla improvisation. In 2014, he undertook the DEVI project via the Asian Art Agency, performing improvised live electronic and classical scores accompanying Satyajit Ray's arthouse classic film DEVI

In 2018 he performed at the Royal Festival Hall alongside pianist Guy Sigsworth, with full ensemble including flautist Sriram Sampath, Beat Box artist Jason Singh and a live string section. Here he reimagined his seminal, award-wining debut album OK, performing iconic tracks such as "Light".

In 2023 performances at South Bank Centre with fashion designer Nicholas Daley with Lucinda Chua and Cobey Sey titled Woven Rhythms. In 2026 at Southbank Centre Shradhanjali - Hommage to Zakir Hussain concert took place Talvin Singh featuring Drummer Marcus Gilmore, Ananthan Krishnan, Tom Rogerson and Satin Singh.

Composing for films and videos

Over the years Talvin Singh has composed music for films such as Mutiny: Asian Storm Music, Boom, The Republic of Love, På kanten af verden, Altitude 2005, Broken Eternity 2012, The Little Master 2015, Once Again 2018, Kekee Manzil House of Art 2022. Music videos he has been involved with include his own for "OK" in 1999 and Madonna's "Cyberraga" in 2000. In 2013 Talvin Singh partnered with BBC for a special feature titled "A musical journey through Mumbai" exploring soundscapes of vibrant streets.

Style and influences

Talvin Singh style and Influence is rooted primarily from his Tabla teachings from his Guru Ustad Lachman Singh Seen.

Talvin Singh mission is to bring Tabla to the forefront and centre stage, as it has been viewed as a accompanying instrument to vocalists or instrumentalist rather than solo in Indian Classical Music.

With closeness to Indian classical music from a young age in the years 1980s to 1990s - learning, playing, listening or watching and developing interest in Jazz and Electronic music, early Electro, House and Jungle. he was inspired by the melting pot of sounds with different musical styles.