Ruairi Glasheen: Tracing the rhythm of life from Cork to Karnataka 

The Cobh-born bodhrán player has travelled through India and Iran to make documentaries on both countries' traditional instruments and drumming styles 

Cork percussionist Ruairi Glasheen.

“The moment somebody is born, their life starts with a basic rhythm of 72 BPM [beats per minute]. That’s the heartbeat. You walk, there’s a rhythm. You run, there’s a rhythm. You dance, there’s a rhythm.”

 In India, where Cork bodhrán player Ruairi Glasheen is exploring the Carnatic drumming traditions of the southern states, Sachin Prakash puts into words a belief common to percussionists all over the globe: the conviction that rhythm underpins life and transcends differences in language and culture.