Samta Prasad

Samta Prasad (1921-95) - percussion player in the Benares tradition Samta Prasad (often wrongly written as Shamta or Shanta) was a Tabla player (Drum pair of North Indian Classics (Hindustani)). The clarity, well-roundedness, and consistency of his strokes was a marvel to hear. It didn't seem to matter how quickly he played, one could always hear every single stroke as a distinct entity. Also known as Gudai Maharaj, Samta Prasad (1921-95) learned from Bikku Misra, and made a name for himself as a superb accompanist as much as a soloist.