Sukhvinder Singh Namdari

Sukhvinder Singh "Pinky" stands among the most dynamic and admired percussionists in Indian classical music today, recognized for his mastery of Tabla and also his expertise in Jorhi playing. He was born in Sri Bhaini Sahib in Punjab and learned music from an early age within the Namdhari Sangeet tradition. His first training was with Jorhi maestro Ustad Nihal Singh, whose musical heritage comes from the historic Rababi tradition of Punjab. 

When he performed at the Satguru Pratap Singh Sangeet Sammelan in Mumbai in 1959, his first special breakthrough drew special attention from legendary musicians in attendance, including Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain, and Pt. Kishan Maharaj. Following the guidance of Satguru Jagjit Singh, Sukhvinder later moved to Varanasi to train with Pt. Kishan Maharaj. Following the guidance of Satguru Jagjit Singh, Sukhvinder later moved to Varanasi to train with Pt. Kishan Maharaj. 

He has collaborations with many of India's most influential artists. His work with Ry Cooder and Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, on A Meeting by the Rive,r earned global acclaim and a Grammy Award in 1994. He continues to perform internationally as both a sought-after accompanist and a respected soloist, including appearances with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Sukhvinder has brought fresh attention to the jorhi, a traditional percussion instrument from Punjab. In 2016, he performed at the Ustad Allah Rakha memorial concert, where Ustad Zakir Hussain praised him as the leading jorhi player in the world today. 

Sukhvinder Singh dedicated to performance between India, UK and Canada and the ongoing preservation of the Punjab and Benares percussion traditions.