Himadri Sekhar Das
Founder of Beat Blasters. Kolkata's World Percussion Educator.
Himadri Sekhar Das has spent his career expanding what percussion means in a city already rich with rhythmic tradition. A drummer, pannist, multi-percussionist, composer, and performer, his work moves fluidly between instruments most Indian audiences would not recognise on sight like cajon, djembe, darbuka, didgeridoo, hang drum, balafon, and more.
That conversation found its clearest expression in Beat Blasters, the Calcutta-based percussion collective Himadri founded on 17 December 2015. Built around a rotating cast of skilled percussionists, the band's identity rests on global and world percussion, instruments drawn from across continents, brought together to create soundscapes that Kolkata's music scene had not quite heard before. Beat Blasters' performances, from Park Street to festival stages, introduced local audiences to instruments like the didgeridoo and hang drum, often for the first time.
Teaching runs alongside performing in equal measure. Himadri has built a roster of students through years of dedicated instruction, and it is that same community he draws on for his own creative projects. In 2023, timed to World Music Day, he conceived and led Drum Circle, a video bringing together 20 world percussion instruments and 20 percussionists, many of them his own students, shot at Studio Beat in Chinar Park. It stands as one of the more ambitious percussion collaborations to come out of Calcutta, and a clear signal of Himadri's instinct for using his own platform to lift the players around him.
His reach extends beyond Kolkata as well. Himadri, credited as Himadri Sekhar Das-Appu, was among the international percussionists featured on Brazilian percussionist and composer Fabio Bergamini's album 7 Portais, alongside artists from India, Japan, South Africa, and Portugal. A collaboration that placed his playing directly within a global percussion conversation.
For Gappu Percussions, Himadri's association runs through the instruments themselves. He has featured in Gappu's cajon demonstrations and hand-percussion content, including the Gappu NSX01 Premium Electric Cajon, bringing his multi-percussion background to bear on how these instruments are introduced to Gappu's audience. It is a natural pairing: an educator and world-percussion specialist from Gappu's home city, demonstrating instruments to the very community of players and students he has spent a decade teaching and performing alongside.
At a Glance
- Founder of Calcutta-based world percussion collective Beat Blasters (est. 2015)
- Drummer, pannist, multi-percussionist, composer, and performer
- Conceived and led Drum Circle, a 20-instrument, 20-percussionist World Music Day tribute (2023)
- Mentors a growing community of percussion students in Kolkata
- Featured collaborator on Brazilian percussionist Fabio Bergamini's album 7 Portais
- Gappu Percussions featured artist across cajon and hand-percussion content
Watch and Learn
Featured Gear
Gappu NSX 01
The NSX01 is a landmark in Indian percussion. With a built-in pickup that connects directly to any PA system or speaker, and the ability to switch seamlessly between acoustic and electric modes, this is the cajon for performers who demand more from every gig. No limits. No compromises.
Shakers
Every rhythm benefits from texture, and the Gappu Shaker delivers it in the most portable form possible. Whether you choose the single or double variant, the birchwood construction produces a warm, organic shaker sound that sits naturally in any musical context, live performance, studio recording, or practise session. The double shaker's dual chambers produce two distinct tonal textures from a single hand-held instrument. High compatibility with all music styles and setups makes the Gappu Shaker the add-on that earns its place every time you play.
Shakers
Every rhythm benefits from texture, and the Gappu Shaker delivers it in the most portable form possible. Whether you choose the single or double variant, the birchwood construction produces a warm, organic shaker sound that sits naturally in any musical context, live performance, studio recording, or practise session. The double shaker's dual chambers produce two distinct tonal textures from a single hand-held instrument. High compatibility with all music styles and setups makes the Gappu Shaker the add-on that earns its place every time you play.
Tilt Cajon
The Tilt is the Pro Cajon, elevated. Built for professional players who refuse to let their instrument hold them back, it combines the 60-degree ergonomic playing surface with premium sound calibration for the most demanding performance environments. Less strain. More stage. No compromise.
Tilt Cajon
The Tilt is the Pro Cajon, elevated. Built for professional players who refuse to let their instrument hold them back, it combines the 60-degree ergonomic playing surface with premium sound calibration for the most demanding performance environments. Less strain. More stage. No compromise.
#1 Bestseller
Taal Octa Snare | Gappu – 8-Faced Portable Cajon with Dual Tones
The Taal Octa Snare isn't just a travel cajon, it's a conversation. Its distinctive 8-faced form creates two separate playing surfaces, each tuned to a distinct tonal character. Louder than anything in its size class, the Taal Octa Snare is built for outdoor performers who refuse to compromise.
Taal Octa Snare | Gappu – 8-Faced Portable Cajon with Dual Tones
The Taal Octa Snare isn't just a travel cajon, it's a conversation. Its distinctive 8-faced form creates two separate playing surfaces, each tuned to a distinct tonal character. Louder than anything in its size class, the Taal Octa Snare is built for outdoor performers who refuse to compromise.
