Ramesh Shotham, born on May 7, 1948 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India, is a percussionist and drummer. He graduated with a degree in zoology from Loyola College, University of Madras, and began his musical career as a self-taught drummer, co-leading the rock band Human Bondage established in 1970. A live concert by Ravi Shankar in Delhi introduced him to Indian music, leading him to study the thavil under Vidwan K.P.Ramu. Shotham has performed with musicians from Europe, America, Africa, Australia, China, Korea, and several Arabic countries. He has recorded over 250 LPs and CDs, working for major TV and radio stations in Germany and Europe. In mid-2000, he established Permission Music Productions with his wife Alexandra. Notable collaborations include work with Embryo and Rabih Abou Khalil. His solo project Madras Special features Christian Zurner on electric bass, Zoltan Lantos on violin, and Sandhya Sanjana on vocals.
