World-renowned tabla player Padma Vibhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain has died at the age of 73 in San Francisco. The maestro made the tabla a musical instrument understandable to the common man. He used to say-
It is impossible for me to imagine life without the tabla.
Ustad Allarakha Khan was a very famous tabla player of the 20th century. Zakir Hussain was his son and disciple. (archive photo)
The father played the words of the tabla in his ear and said, “This is my prayer” In 2018, at the Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), Ustad Zakir Hussain opened the pages of his life with the producer of the Sanjoy Roy festival. Writer Nasreen Munni Kabir had written the book “Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music” on Zakir Hussain.
During the session “A Life in Music” at the Jaipur Literature Festival, Ustad Zakir Hussain had said: “When I was born, my mother kept me on the lap of my father Ustad Allarakha. According to tradition, he had to recite a prayer in my ear. My father was ill, but he still brought his lips close to my ears and recited a few tabla lyrics. Mother got angry and said it was a bad omen. Father replied that music is my spiritual practice and I worship Saraswati and Ganesha with tunes. This is why this tune and this rhythm are my prayer.
Zakir Hussain was born in Mumbai, attended St. Michael’s School, Mahim and graduated from St. Xavier’s College. (archive photo)
He used to carry his tabla in his hands, and never saw anyone else take it. Ustad Zakir Hussain had deep affection for Jaipur’s Padma Bhushan and Grammy Award-winning player Mohan Veena, Pt. That’s why once he reached Jaipur, he went to Vishwamohan Bhatt’s house on a scooter . He shared his memories and experiences with Zakir Hussain with Indianewsget.
Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt said, “We have performed together many times. Once upon a time there was a program in Chennai (Tamil Nadu). Pandit Vikku Vinayak Ram was also with me. Ustad Zakir Hussain also came. This was the most memorable program so far. It was organized by the Chennai Music Academy.
Ustad Zakir Hussain brought the tabla with both hands. We never saw anyone else pick up their tabla. This is the sign of a great artist.
Famous Mohan Veena player Padma Bhushan Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt shared stories related to Ustad Zakir Hussain. (archive photo)
Ustad brought the tabla to the common man. Pandit Vishwamohan Bhatt said, “The credit for bringing tabla to the common man goes only to Ustad Zakir Hussain. He made this instrument so simple that the hoof of a horse, the drum of Lord Shankar and the temple bell could be heard to the rhythm of his tablas. He was a true artist. His specialty was easily explaining the science of classical music to audiences. Pandit Birju Maharaj also did the same with Kathak.
Did his first professional show at the age of 11. Zakir Hussain was born on March 9, 1951 in Maharashtra to Ustad Allarakha and Bavi Begum. Zakir’s childhood was spent listening to the rhythms of his father’s tabla and at the age of 3, Zakir was also given the tabla, which he never gave up.
Besides his father and first guru Ustad Allarakha, Zakir also received tabla training from Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan and Ustad Vilayat Hussain Khan. Zakir did his first professional show at the age of 11, for which he received Rs 100.
Ustad Zakir Hussain successfully experimented with bringing together the music of the West and the East. He has also released albums with international artists. (archive photo)
Expert in numerous fusion music experiments with the tabla, he was not only an expert in classical music, but thanks to his successful experience of bringing together contemporary world music, that is to say the music of the West and East, he was recognized as an international artist from a very young age. While creating fusion music with artists like Mickey Hart, John McLaughlin, he also created his own band “Shakti”.
Even after making fusion music, he never left the tabla, because according to him, the tabla remained with him like a friend and a brother since his childhood.
Zakir Hussain was a percussionist of this rare ability, who accompanied artists of 4 generations from the senior Dagar brothers, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Sahab to Birju Maharaj and Niladri Kumar, Hariharan.
Ustad Zakir Hussain’s contribution is also important in the world of cinema. Ustad played an important role in the music of films like ‘Bawarchi’, ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’, ‘Heer-Ranjha’ and ‘Saaz’. Not only in music, Ustad has also acted in films like Little Buddha and Saaz.
Zakir Hussain received Padmashree at a young age Zakir Hussain received Padmashree at a young age (37 years) in 1988. When Hussain received the Padma Shri, his guru and father Ustad Allarakha made him a garland of joy. What could be a better and more memorable moment than this for a disciple? At the same time, for the first time, Pandit Ravi Shankar addressed Zakir as Ustad. After that, this streak didn’t stop.
In the album ‘Planet Drum’ co-created by Zakir, the recording was done by mixing Hindustani and foreign rhythms, which was rare at that time. This is the reason why around 8 lakh records of this album were sold at that time.
Ustad received Padma Bhushan in 2002, Kalidas Samman in 2006 and a Grammy Award in 2009 for his album “Global Drum Project”. Padma Vibhushan in 2023 and he created history by winning 3 Grammy Awards simultaneously at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on February 4, 2024.
In 2010, on behalf of the Ustad Allarakha Institute of Music, he was awarded the title of the greatest tabla guru of the Punjab Gharana.
Interesting stories from Ustad
Ustad Zakir Hussain, with his unique style of playing the tabla, explained to the world that even though the tabla is a rhythm instrument, it has the musical notes A, B, C, D, so it is very important to have a melody in the tabla. Zakir’s surname is Qureshi, but on the advice of a fakir, his mother named him Zakir Hussain. Who was invited to the All Star Global concert at the White House? During an interview he was asked who his favorite artist was and his answer was: My father. Apart from this, artists like Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan are also included in this list. of the century. The whole world is a fan of it.
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Death of Tabla player Ustad Zakir Hussain: family confirmed, aged 73; Padma Vibhushan was awarded in 2023
World-renowned tabla player and Padma Vibhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away on December 16. His family confirmed this Monday morning. According to the family, Hussain suffered from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Previously, the news of his death came on the night of December 15. …
Zakir Hussain took to the streets of Jaipur on a scooter: the Grammy Award winner said he used to lift the tabla himself.
Ustad Zakir Hussain had deep affection for Jaipur’s Padmabhushan and Grammy Award-winning player Mohan Veena, Pt. This was the reason why once he reached Jaipur, he went to Vishwamohan Bhatt’s house on a scooter.