Ustad Zakir Hussain: Hands that speak
World renowned tabla player Ustad Zakir Hussain, also dubbed “Encyclopedia of the Tabla”, has regaled audiences around the world. He was initiated into the intricacies of rhythm by his legendary father table maestro Ustad Alla Rakha when he was two days old. The primary “lessons” continued till he was two years old.
And so a child prodigy appeared on the music scene.
At the age of seven, he gave his first public performance, started touring at 12 years and went on to become one of the world's greatest tabla artistes, world renowned Grammy award winning percussionist and world musician.
On his home turf he was the youngest percussionist to win civilian awards Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri from the Indian Government.
Fame didn't come easy. As a young boy of seven in Mumbai, tabla practice with his father Ustad Alla Rakha meant gruelling lessons from two at night to six in the morning.
The sleepy young boy would then make his way to school. The best reward was when he would get thrown out of class for practicing on the benches, recalled Hussain in an interview with a leading publication.
Hussain completed his schooling and graduation in Mumbai.
At the age of 19, he went to the United States. The year was 1970. His first concert at the Fillmore East in New York was with Pandit Ravi Shankar. It was by coincidence that Hussain was accompanying the great sitarist. His father was supposed to do but when he fell ill, the organisers were confident that his son could replace him.
In the US, Hussain's talent soared to new heights. Widely acknowledged as an architect of the contemporary world music movement, he has had many historic collaborations, including Shakti which he formed with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar, Remember Shakti, the Diga Rhythm Band, Making Music, Planet Drum with Micky Hart (famous drummer of the legendary Grateful Dead), Tabla Beat Science, among others. He won the coveted Grammy Award twice over: Best World Music Album for “Planet Drum” in 1992 and for “Global Drum Project” as Contemporary World Music Album, 2009.
Hussain has also done recordings and performances with names as diverse as George Harrison, YoYoMa, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Mark Morris and the Kodo drummers.
Hussain has even dabbled in films. He played a role in “Heat and Dust” for which he was associate music director as well. He has composed music for several films such as “In Custody” by Ismail Merchant and has played the tabla for the soundtracks of “Apocalypse”, “Little Buddha” and other films.
Hart and he put the music together for “The Godfather”. He takes pride in solely having done the music for the last 12 dramatic minutes of the film–when Marlon Brando gets killed.
Hussain is constantly on the learning curve. “Never stop being a student–be a better student,” he once said to an interviewer.
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