Rock Disco Tabla begins with musician Karsh Kale walking his dog in a snowstorm in New York, where he has been a resident since the 1970s. He talks about growing up in the suburb of Queens, surrounded by people of varied ethnicities and nationalities, each one's culture seeping into the neighbour's seamlessly. He remembers taking road trips with his Maharashtrian parents, listening to music as varied as the Top 40s, lavani, Indian classical and the Beatles. Later, as he lives in East Village, he is struck by the energy that engulfs him, in a city full of artistes, all busy trying to create something. "It was the right environment. New York is unique in that way—it brings out the best in everyone, no matter what you do," Kale says in an interview from Goa, where he is currently put up.

Kale fell in love with the tabla after he saw Zakir Hussain perform at Columbia University