Manisha Biswas
Drummer. Percussionist. Vocalist. Building her own stage, one beat at a time.
There is a particular kind of courage in reinventing yourself mid-journey. Manisha Biswas spent more than fifteen years building a life in music as a vocalist, training rigorously under her gurumaa Nandita Chowdhury in Bongaon, West Bengal. When a period of physical difficulty during the COVID years forced her to step back from singing, it looked, for a moment, like the end of something. It turned out to be the beginning of something much larger.
It was Nandita Chowdhury herself who saw what Manisha could not yet see in herself - an instinct for instruments, for rhythm, for the physical conversation between a musician and their percussion. She encouraged, then insisted, then frankly refused to let Manisha give up. The first instrument was the tabla, which did not hold her attention. Then came the cajon. And something clicked.
For two years, Manisha was entirely self-taught on the cajon. A discipline that demands not just technical repetition but the kind of internal listening that formal training cannot always teach. In 2024, she took the leap to drums. What followed was not gradual: within roughly three years of picking up her first percussion instrument, she was performing professionally at gigs across West Bengal, earning her own income as a drummer and percussionist. She is currently deepening her drumming under Guruji Dhruba Ghatak, adding structured learning to what began as pure self-driven practice.
Her musical range is as striking as her story. She plays across Bollywood, Bengali folk, fusion, Indian classical, and rock, appearing as a vocalist, drummer, and percussionist depending on the context. She is a vocal instructor at Saptak The Music School and a member of multiple bands and ensembles, including Folk Fable, Folk Storm, Hamelin Instrumental Band, and the all-female Thridhara Female Band, a relatively rare formation in India's percussion and rock scene. Her television appearance as a guest female drummer on Zee Bangla Saregama 2024–25 brought her work to one of Bengal's widest audiences.
Gappu co-founder Anirban Bhattacharya reached out to Manisha directly after recognising her work on social media, and she has been a Gappu Army Artist and Official Endorsee for close to two years. She uses the B02 Cajon, TILT Cajon, Jambox, and Taal Octa Snare, and creates percussion content regularly across YouTube and Instagram. Her explanation of what draws her to Gappu is direct and real: affordable, easy to carry, beautiful sound; instruments that work equally well at a casual jam session and a professional live show.
That last quality, the ability to show up and perform across every kind of context, describes Manisha Biswas as much as it describes the instruments she plays.
At a Glance
- Multi-instrumentalist from Bongaon, West Bengal: drums, cajon, djembe, bongo, harmonium, ukulele
- Trained vocalist of 15+ years under gurumaa Nandita Chowdhury; self-taught cajonist, now studying drums under Guruji Dhruba Ghatak
- Guest female drummer on Zee Bangla Saregama 2024–25
- Vocal instructor at Saptak The Music School
- Member of Folk Fable, Folk Storm, Hamelin Instrumental Band, Thridhara Female Band, and more
- Gappu Army Artist and Official Endorsee
Watch and Learn
Featured Gear
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.
Gappu B02 Cajon
The B02 is Gappu's studio-focused premium cajon, engineered for musicians who want their instrument to translate perfectly to tape, and everything digital. Tuned for deep, rich low-end that sits beautifully in any recorded mix, the B02 is where your cajon becomes a serious recording instrument.
Gappu B02 Cajon
The B02 is Gappu's studio-focused premium cajon, engineered for musicians who want their instrument to translate perfectly to tape, and everything digital. Tuned for deep, rich low-end that sits beautifully in any recorded mix, the B02 is where your cajon becomes a serious recording instrument.
#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.
