Feel The Beat With Tabla Star Shobhit Banwait
With almost 2 million YouTube views, the Toronto born ‘drummer boy’ is an up and coming mover and shaker that literally has people moving and shaking on dance floors all over the world.
Born in Scarborough but now residing in Brampton, Shobhit Banwait’s love for drumming was instilled at a young age. With a father involved in a West Indian band, singing and musical instruments were a natural part of Shobhit’s environment. As Shobhit’s interest grew throughout the years, it was his father who first noticed his musical ear for banging out a beat. Approaching a suited teacher to help develop his growing interest and skill, Shobhit’s his first formal class started at the age of 13. The instrument of choice was the tabla, an Indian hand drum made of wood that requires a complex set of speedy hand movements that when mastered, can make music magic. With fans all over the world and requests for remixes and bookings beginning to pour-in, Shobhit is proof of the power that adding a tabla beat to a chart-topping track can have.
Starting his online music career in 2012 by posting brief, 15 second sound clips on Instagram, it was Shobhit’s cover of Calvin Harris & Disciples How Deep Is Your Love that really took social media website Facebook by storm. The cover takes the already amazing 
track up to an even higher level by making it sound livelier and faster and has been one of his most viewed fusions. From Justin Bieber’s Sorry to Maroon 5’s Moves Like Jagger, Shobhit keeps expanding his audience by bringing his tabla talent across genres including R&B and even adding a twist to Adele’s heartbreaking Hello. Ensuring to include his Indian roots, Shobit regularly uploads covers to classic Bollywood songs, Bhangra hits and original, authentic pieces. With a diverse musical library, it’s no wonder that his Instagram account which he admits to starting as more of a hobby, now has over 25 thousand followers.
A Sheridan College graduate, Shobhit receives sound advice from his parents who encourage him to pursue his musical dreams but also teach the importance of having another viable career skill-set should he ever wish to stop playing. For now, focused on making fusions and doing covers, Shobhit eventually hopes to produce his own beats. When discussing the process, Shobhit explains it’s an innate, automatic response to listen to a song and have a creative impulse to put a tabla beat over it. Staying true to his Canadian roots, Shobhit’s current dream collaboration would be with Drake or The Weekend; two artists he hugely respects for their talent and dedication to bringing more attention to Toronto’s entertainment industry. Performing at weddings and concerts, Shobhit thrives off the 
energy of a crowd and gets a natural high from seeing people moved by his music and people are getting moved; some of his videos are shared over 5000 times in less than a day. The extra attention in particular from the lady fan base would be overwhelming for anyone, especially at the young age of 25. When speaking with Shobhit, one of the most surprising things about him is his young age; with his laid-back demeanor, he exudes an air of maturity and articulates his passion for music in a way that sounds wise beyond his years. A close bond with his supportive parents and two siblings, Shobhit’s family connection and spiritual upbringing is helping him stay grounded as his fan rapidly grows. With an open minded, easy-going attitude, Shobhit makes it a priority to ensure he treats others with respect and lives with a positive perspective. Describing drumming as a calming yet and energizing experience, Shobhit has no plans on slowing down; with a creative force as his motivation, he aims to show how the power of a beat can be a form of healing to others by cultivating peace, happiness and bliss.
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