Master of Percussion!

May 7, 2015

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Ustad Zakir Hussain, this name is used as a metaphor for Tabla in India. This master of percussion was born in India in March, 1951 and is considered as one of the greatest Tabla player today. He is famous amongst all Indians; musicians or non-musicians. Young musicians and students look up to him as a source of inspiration and a role model whereas the non-musicians know him from the famous “Wah Taj” advertisement.

He is awarded with the prestigious Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. The United States has awarded him the National Endowment for the Art’s National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional musicians. He was born to the legendary Tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha Khan in Mumbai. As per the tradition, the father recites a sacred prayer in his child’s ear when he is born, however the case with Zakir Sahab was different; Ustad Ji (Allah Rakha Khan) recited Tabla “bols” and “syllables” when he first saw his child. He started performing overseas from the early age of 11.

He was a member of a famous fusion band “Shakti” in early 1975. This band included some of the greatest musicians like John Mclaughlin (English Guitar), T.H. Vikku Vinayakram (Ghatam), L.Shankar (Violin), etc. Shakti presented Euro-American fusion and Indian Music, in addition to Hindustani and Carnatic Music traditions. It came together again some 20 years later after its dissolution in 1977. The concert remembering Shakti was an initiative taken by Ustad Zakir Hussain and John Mclaughlin which included big shots like U.Srinivas (Mandolin), Shankar Mahadevan (Vocals) and V. Selvaganesh (Kanjira).

Zakir Ji is known for his mastery not only in tabla but other percussion instruments also. He can play 80-100 different percussion instruments. He is known to present different gharanas of tabla with accurate precision, technique and by maintaining the purity of each gharana. The ability to properly understand and play the ancient compositions is embedded in him. He has accompanied almost all the famous and celebrated classical musicians of India- Pt. Ravi Shankar (Sitar) , Ustad Ali Akbar Khan (Sarod), Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma (Santoor), Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia (Flute), Pt. Jasraj (Vocal), Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod), Ustad Sultan Khan (Sarangi) are just a few of them.

He started many concerts such as “East meets West” where he shows collaboration between Hindustani and the western music. The Indian audience has become receptive to such concept concerts and they get a very good response from India. These small experiments not only makes him popular in India but in the west also. He currently resides in San Francisco and visits India in the month of November, December and January which are the peak concert seasons in India.