Mahindra Percussion Festival 2026: Rhythm and beat in the spotlight

Crowds gathered in big numbers at the Prestige Centre of Performing Arts in Bengaluru on Saturday evening for the Mahindra Percussion Festival 2026, in association with The Hindu. The two-day festival, now in its fourth edition, brings together musicians and artistes from different genres, showcasing the power of percussion. The Pulse Within is the theme of this edition of the festival.

The festival kicked off with Nada Pravaham — Circle of Sound — led by the legendary mridangist Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman. Born in Tanjore in 1935, he is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. Accompanying him were his disciples, tabla player Ishaan Ghosh, drummer Shravan Samsi, and vocalist N. Hariharan. “Age is only a number,” said the 91-year old, as he took the stage. “This is the 81st year of my career. Playing for Bengaluru is a red-letter day for us as the audience is so knowledgeable”.

The performance was inspired by four Cs — confluence, creativity, camaraderie, and connection. With Hariharan providing the konnakol, the Carnatic-style improvised vocals, the performance was a tour de force between the four musicians. Free-flowing beats and the rhythmic vocal improvisation were expertly led by Umayalpuram in a tight performance. Ishaan on the tabla was particularly impressive. The gig built up to a crescendo and concluded with a power-packed mrigandam act.

After a short break, it was time for Yatra by Mahesh Kale. Mahesh is an Indian-American classical vocalist, known for his expertise in Hindustani and devotional music. “Through my concert, I want to give you the sense of a pilgrimage. A pilgrimage across different parts of the country, of different saints in different languages”.

Yatra used Maharashtra’s devotional bhakti music to ask the question, what is rhythm is the spiritual path? It used percussion and movement to find meaning of the infinite. The ensemble act had 12 musicians, helming instruments such as the tabla, a drum set, electric guitar, keyboard and harmonium, but with rhythm and beat taking the lead. The convergence of all the instruments and vocals was a sensory thrilling experience.

Day two of the festival will have acts such as Bikram Ghosh, Women Who Drum, and Parai Awakens, a performance with the ancient drum from Tamil Nadu, the parai.