Internationally renowned kanjira frame drummer Ganesh Kumar has played and led workshops throughout the world. Ganesh has performed with all the leading musicians in India and abroad and earned the appreciation from Doyen of Carnatic Music. He found new techniques in playing this "One hand instrument" and found unimaginable nuances of melody from this amusing bass percussion instrument. He can adopt and modify the different schools of thought and can plays with many types of percussionist and artists in the world.

“He plays so fast you can’t see his hand ! “
– exclaimed a fan at his last Facing East concert

Ganesh Kumar received the prestigious "Fulbright Fellowship Award" in performing arts for the year 2000-2001, sponsored by the Department of State, USA and US Educational Foundation of India. During this period he was teaching Kanjira at the Queens College to the percussion music students of The Aaron Copland School of Music, New York. He also gave master classes, lecture demonstrations and presentations about Indian percussion music in the Julliard School of Music, Queens College, Wagner College, The New School of Music, United Nations International School and other public schools.

He has accompanied on this instrument and has played with many great percussionist including Smt. M.S. Subbulakshmi, Dr M. Balamuralikrishna, Ms Chandralekha, Glen Velez, Alessandra Belloni, Max Roach, Talujon Percussion Quartet. He has received the "Yuva Kala Bharathi", Best Kanjira Artist, He has also played with Bela Fleck, Jeff Coffin is part of the Facing East Family and has played in many albums and CDs.

Ganesh learned from versatile genius and percussion maestro Sri T.H. Subash Chandran, in whom Ganesh Kumar found a teacher, friend, philosopher and guide to mean him a perfect percussion artist in every respect. Ganesh Kumar learned fundamental training from Sri T. R. Hari Hara Sharma and he switched over to frame drumming by the advice of Sri Subash Chandran.

In his Kanjira Clinic, Ganesh teaches the intricacies of the kanjira to many students world wide. has developed an understanding and communication of Indian rhythms that is beneficial for those already playing a drum and for those just wanting to start.

From Chennai; a Southern Metropolitan City in India, and born in a music loving family in 1964, Ganesh is one of the few percussionists, with an aesthetic sense of approach in playing this traditional classical instrument.

www.ganeshkanjira.com