Mhatra aka K. Cornelius: Drummer/Multi Instrumentalist
Mhatra/K. Cornelius is exploding onto the rhythmic scene stirring waves of fluid pulse into intricately woven patterns of blissful ambient, powerfully eclectic, and sweetly beat filled sound. Mhatra's musical career began at a very early age with western classical studies on piano and brass instrumentation, her obsession with sound was made clear in her early teens when she began experimenting with keys, guitars, drum kit, and found objects. Self taught on drum kit Mhatra has fascinated audiences for years with her eclectic style, rich dynamics, and vivid creativity. She has performed throughout the DC/Baltimore area intensively adding live music to contemporary dance performances, performance art, and theater at venues such as Dance Place, Joe's Movement Emporium, Jack Guidone Theater, The Blue Elephant Art Center, Catholic University, Shenandoah University, Shepherd College Sara Cree Studio Theater, and many clubs, bars, and cafes! The artist is well versed in the languages of western and eastern rhythm playing instruments ranging from but not limited to drum kit, marimba, djembe, talking drum, tabla, balifon, reong, doumbek/darabouka, and miscellaneous percussion. Tabla has, over the past ten years become Mhatra's most cherished musical territory, she has studied with Baltimore based Monir Hossian for four years and is now continuing her studies with various workshops from masters such as Ustad Zakir Hussain. The artist is currently on the move to Buffalo, NY where she will be under the tutelage of acclaimed tabla maestro Ritesh Das of The Toronto Tabla Ensemble.
In the artists work it is neither uncommon nor infrequent to experience the use of nontraditional instrumentation and improvisation. Mhatra considers the use of many found objects as sound producing instruments which often create obscure textures and soundscapes which ebb and flow along with assorted field recordings to create compositions conveying avid curiosity and evolved inspired expression.
official artist website
