Korean Musician Creates Indian Beats in Edison

By Sejal Kukadia

The classical percussion instrument of North India, the tabla, is a popular hand drum which requires years of intense study and practice to master.   The instrument is played mainly by men, and is often associated with strength and power.   And so to see a petite South Korean woman play complex rhythms on the tabla with fluidity and authority is a special sight.  

Meet Jin Won, a professional tabla player and teacher at New Jersey’s Taalim School of Indian Music, located in Edison, not far from .

Jin’s is truly an inspiring story.  Born and raised in Seoul, Jin travelled to Mumbai, India in her early 20s to experience the city and learn English. While in Mumbai, she became intrigued with Indian performing arts, namely the classical dance known as kathak, and the tabla.  She started learning kathak dance, and fell in love with it.  Her study of kathak brought her to Ahmedabad, a metropolis in western India.  Here, her life changed when she met one of India’s leading exponents and tabla gurus (teacher), Pandit Divyang Vakil.  Pandit Vakil saw in this young foreigner a sincere, hardworking and dedicated disciple.  He took Jin under his wing and thus began her apprenticeship in the pure, classical art of tabla.   Jin moved to Ahmedabad, where she spent the next 15 years completely devoted to learning both kathak dance and tabla.    Today, she is a genuine expert in both of these subjects, and as of six months ago, Jin became a teacher and performing artist at the Taalim School of Indian Music.   

 Her journey has been a long and arduous one, but it has been a labor of love.  Her passion for the Indian classical arts is an inspiration to the young students at the Taalim School.  “Jin-didi (elder sister) is an amazing role model!” said 15-year-old Taalim student, Deepa Paulus.  Deepa is being trained in both classical dance and tabla in Queens, NY, and so follows Jin’s career closely.

Heena Patel, a Canadian tabla player and disciple of Pandit Vakil, admires Jin’s musical accomplishments.  “Jin-didi is really an ambassador of the Indian arts,” explained Patel.  “A Korean woman who trained in India and now spreads her art in America...she is a true world citizen.”

Jin Won’s latest performance piece is a duet with fellow female tabla-player, Sejal Kukadia.   The duo perform “Taalika”, a tabla duet composed and directed by Pandit Vakil.   Jin and Sejal have performed at venues across the Northeast, and at each concert, they said they hear the same comment:  “I’ve never seen tabla being played by women before!”  

As the country’s only female tabla ensemble, Sejal and Jin are working to change the notion that playing tabla is only for men, one performance at a time. 

A visit to Jin’s home in central Jersey sees her practicing her music for countless hours throughout the day.  “Learning tabla is a life-long endeavor”, she explained. “This is my passion; I’m proud that I have the opportunity to teach this timeless music to others.”   

Jin Won continues her labor of love.  Her story is far from over. 

To learn more about Jin, visit jinkathak.com or taalim.com