“My name is Shahbaz, and I am the proprietor of Mahboob Ali Tabla Makers, a shop my family has been part of for more than 150 years.

Our way of working has remained the same through generations. We pick seasoned Sheesham and carve the tabla body to the right thickness. The leather is carefully cut, soaked, stretched, and tied by hand. The most detailed part is the syahi, the black tuning paste at the centre, which we build up and test repeatedly because even a tiny change can affect the sound. It takes almost a week to make one tabla, and the work depends more on trained ears and steady hands than on measurements or machines.

People come to us from all walks of life. A beginner buying their first tabla, a classical artist looking for a particular tone, or a film musician searching for the right resonance. There is no showroom here. Someone sits down, plays, listens, and then decides. We also restore old tablas, bringing back the voice of instruments that have stayed with their owners for years.

Many ask why we haven’t moved to a bigger or fancier shop. The truth is, this craft doesn’t need glass walls or bright lights. It needs focus, patience, and a space where we can work without rush. From this small workshop, our tablas now travel across India and even to countries like Australia and Dubai, but our methods remain the same.

For us, making a tabla isn’t factory work. It is a skill we have inherited, practiced, and preserved. As long as there are people who appreciate a handmade sound, we will continue doing what we do, one tabla at a time.”