Nagesh Bagale is a young tabla player and musician from Sindhudurg district in Maharashtra, India. Born on 1 October 2000, he has built a reputation locally for his dedication to Indian classical music and for bringing it to new audiences.
Music for everyone
Nagesh is committed to performing free, accessible concerts in public spaces, schools, colleges and other venues. He believes these performances help people, especially young listeners, appreciate the musical heritage of India and other traditions around the world.
For him, music is a way of life rather than just a profession. He has said that he puts his earnings back into music, buying new instruments and helping set up recording facilities that other musicians can use.
Learning while working
Like many young artists, Nagesh balanced his passion with a full-time job, which left little time or money to build an online presence. He turned to affordable online tabla lessons to keep developing his skills and to connect with musicians beyond his home region.
“Earlier generations made it possible for me to study music with passion today,” he says. “I want to honour that by helping make the tabla a viable career option for others.”
Inspired by the masters
Nagesh credits his guru for encouraging him to commit fully to a career in Indian classical music, and he draws inspiration from great masters of the tradition, including the late santoor legend Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. He continues to study ragas and classical compositions to deepen his understanding of the art form.
Independent releases
As an independent artist, Nagesh distributes his music on major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Gaana. “I wanted to give my listeners control by making my songs available everywhere,” he explains. His track “Retex Motion” was among his releases on Gaana, and his music is available to listeners in several countries, including India, the United States and Canada.
Influences
Outside classical music, Nagesh enjoys contemporary Indian playback singing, and he names Arunita Kanjilal as his favourite singer.
With his dedication to free performances, independent releases and lifelong learning, Nagesh Bagale is a promising example of a young musician keeping India’s classical traditions alive for a new generation.
