“Our shop, Akbar Miya & Bros, has been running for over a hundred years. My great-grandfather started it. Since then, we’ve been doing the same thing—making and repairing tablas.

We didn’t learn this through any course. We learned by sitting beside our elders and watching them work. That’s how it’s always been.

People bring tablas that are broken, out of tune, or just old. Some are very close to their heart. We try to fix them properly. We don’t hurry. We take time.

Even now, with so many changes in music, people still come for this sound. A tabla that’s made and tuned by hand. It’s different.

Our shop is small. No signboards, nothing fancy. But those who know, they come. Some for repairs. Some just to sit, talk, and have chai.

We don’t think too much about the past or future. We just do our work, like it’s always been done. If someone sees it and feels something, that’s good. But for us, this is just our way of living.”

• Akbar Miya, Tabla Maker