Mir Naqibul Islam

Guruji once said during Taalim, “I am only seeing these sixteen beats in front of me, nothing else.” I wish my practice and my sadhana reach that level where I can see only the tabla in front of me. One step at a time. Sharing a short section of my Kayda Rela that I played at Barzakh Cafe during my solo concert last week. Thank you to all of you who came, supported, and listened so deeply. Looking forward to many more moments like this throughout the year.

The year began with strings, rhythm, melody and shared silence. Playing tabla alongside Maestro Abhik Mukherjee at Barzakh Cafe for the first concert of the year felt grounding and full of intention. Thank you to everyone who came through and held space with us. #indianclassicalmusid #tabla #sitar #nyc #mir_tabla

#Baithak #LiveMusic #Kirana Please come to our 5th Manhattan Baithak presenting Pandit Arnab Chatterjee, a disciple of Late Pandit A Kanan. He will be accompanied by Mir Naqibul Islam on tabla and Srikar on harmonium. The afternoon will be inaugurated by two young talents Om and Archit! We look forward to your gracious presence! Ticket link 🔗 is in the bio!

My Newyork Days With Pandit Anindya Chatterjee And beautiful host Subhaji. spent beautiful evening with Shankh dada, Dadamoni @abhikbhai @mir_tabla . At subha ji s beautiful House. #indianclassical #sitar #tabla #newyork #brooklyn

An immense honor and a lifelong memory to accompany our beloved Guruji, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, along with Gurubhais during Baisakhi Utsav 2026 at Penn State University, hosted by the Bengali Association of Penn State. Dear @sarangi_rohan bhai played Lehra on Sarangi. Moments like these are truly priceless for all of us as students. Feeling deeply grateful and fortunate to receive the guidance, blessings, and inspiration of such a great Guru. Endless pranaam and heartfelt thanks to our dear Guruji for everything♥️🙏 @ehrenjhanson @mir_tabla @ravi_venugopalan

Celebrating AAPI this week @metmuseum x @brooklynragamassive featuring @sarangi_rohan @mir_tabla @snpranav @nkharetabla @mustafabhagat @davidkfreeman Thank you Asian Arts Dept for hosting us and to our visitors in attendance! @metmusicalinstruments 📸 @mariusjbecker

I have been offering Raga Space at Park Theater in Hudson, NY seasonally for the last 4 years. The Raga Space scene is bubbling, and is Hudson’s premiere show for Indian Classical Music. Depth, mastery, tone and playfulness contribute to this mesmerizing and soul stirring performance. With ERIC FRASER (bansuri), ABHIK MUKHERJEE (sitar), MIR NAQIBUL ISLAM (tabla). Tix @parktheaterhudson or link in bio!. @abhikbhai @mir_tabla #livemusichudsonvalley #hudsonny #indianclassicalmusic #worldmusic @viewcyrecords

Just one more day to go for our grand event! Please join us for a wonderful tabla recital by Pandit Anindo Chatterjee and his disciples Ravi Venugopalan, Mir Naqibul Islam, Ehren Hanson and Rohan Misra at Baisakhi 2026. Location: Freeman Auditorium, Hub Robeson Center Time: 5:30 pm onwards Indian snacks and refreshments provided.

It was such a pleasure to share stage with young sitar maestro Arjun Verma. Met him for the first time and had a conversation in music. Sharing a snippet of rela during the accompaniment. Because of IG algorithm, I am sharing only 30 secs! #tabla #sitar #indianclassicalmusic #hindustani #nyctabla

An intimate concert experience centered on the Afghan rabab, led by one of the instrument’s leading contemporary voices. This performance draws from Afghan and North Indian classical traditions, moving between composed works and extended improvisation. The evening unfolds as a focused listening experience, revealing the full depth, texture, and emotional range of the rabab. Qais Essar is an internationally acclaimed rabab virtuoso and composer whose work bridges heritage and contemporary expression. Recognized for expanding the instrument’s technical and expressive possibilities, he has played a key role in bringing the rabab into modern concert spaces around the world. Through The Living Rabab, he approaches the instrument as an evolving voice—grounded in tradition, yet fully present in today’s musical landscape. He is joined by Mir Naqibul Islam, a New York–based tabla artist of the Farrukhabad gharana. A disciple of Pt. Anindo Chatterjee, with foundational training under Pt. Ashoke Paul (of the Pt. Jnan Prakash Ghosh lineage), his practice reflects a deep connection to the guru-shishya parampara and its continuity across generations. Active across New York’s music scene, Mir performs both as a soloist and collaborator, working across classical, jazz, chamber, Middle Eastern, and experimental contexts. His playing brings a dynamic and responsive rhythmic presence to the performance, expanding the dialogue between tradition and contemporary sound. Barzakh Café is also a bar and bites space — come early, have something to eat, enjoy a drink, and settle in for the evening. Rsvp link in bio

A splash of the the many colored Peacock song 🦚; finale from @jalopybrooklyn with @mir_tabla last Sunday ; my sincere gratitude to the lovely audience who made the event a great success. It’s very satisfying to be able to pull crowds in cities all around the world, it’s a small-town musician’s big dream and you are all making it a reality. Music for PEACE and GOODNESS, to break down borders and unite us in the simple joys of a groovy tune. Giving thanks for life and…taking some well deserved rest. #indianslideguitar #tabla

Evening Light – Raga Cycle I is out now. These images come from the residencies where the album was created — studios, instruments, long days of recording, listening, and slowly shaping this music over the past three years. Co-composed by Michael Harrison and Ina Filip. Link in bio.