Ahmedabad, India: Drumming Through the Heat and History

the first thing i noticed stepping off the train in ahmedabad was the heat-like walking into a drum skin that's been sitting in the sun all day. the numbers said 29.99°c, but it felt like the city itself was playing a slow, sweaty rhythm just for me. i'm a touring session drummer, so i tend to feel everything in beats and tempos, and ahmedabad? it's a city that grooves at its own pace, stubborn and soulful.

i had a gig at a small club near the old city, but before that, i wandered. someone told me that the pols-those ancient, tightly packed neighborhoods-are like living drum kits, each alley a different tone, each door a different snare crack. i heard that from a chai vendor who laughed when i tried to explain my job. "ahmedabad doesn't need drummers," he said, "the streets do the percussion." he wasn't wrong.

"if you want real food, skip the tourist traps and find the guy with the cart near manek chowk after midnight. that's where the city eats."

that advice came from a fellow musician i met at a rooftop jam session. we traded stories about broken cymbals and broken hearts, and he swore the best biryani in town was sold out of a tiny stall that only opened when the moon was high. i believed him. in ahmedabad, the best things always seem to happen in the margins.

between gigs, i took a day trip to vadodara-just a short drive away if you get bored, and honestly, after a few days of ahmedabad's relentless rhythm, a change of scenery felt good. vadodara's quieter, more like a ballad after a heavy rock set. someone else mentioned gandhinagar as another option, but i never made it there. maybe next tour.

i just checked and it's still hovering around 29.99°c there right now, so pack light, bring a hat, and don't expect the weather to cut you any breaks. the humidity? it sticks to you like a bad gig memory, but you get used to it.

my last night, i played a set at a club that felt like it was held together by duct tape and dreams. the crowd was small but loud, and for a moment, i forgot about the heat, the jet lag, the endless travel. that's the thing about ahmedabad-it doesn't try to impress you. it just is, and if you're open to it, it'll leave a mark on your rhythm section.

if you're ever here, don't just chase the tourist spots. follow the sound of the city. and if you hear a drummer playing somewhere in the old town, that's probably me, still trying to keep up with the beat.

for more on the city's hidden gems, check out TripAdvisor's Ahmedabad guide or Yelp Ahmedabad for local eats and hangs.