Famend tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain handed away on 15 December 2024 on the age of 73 in San Francisco as a result of problems from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. His passing marks the tip of an period, not only for Indian classical music however for the worldwide music scene. A pioneer who introduced the tabla to the world stage, Ustad Zakir’s journey is as extraordinary because the rhythms he created, mixing custom with innovation and incomes worldwide acclaim by way of stellar collaborations and international performances.
Listed below are some lesser-known tales that seize his life and legacy:
1. He slept on prepare flooringÂ
In his early years, Ustad Zakir usually travelled by prepare and when he couldn’t discover a seat, he slept on the ground, utilizing newspapers as bedding. Regardless of the discomfort, he at all times saved his tabla in his lap, fastidiously defending it from being touched or broken. Even then, his respect for the instrument was evident.
2. His love for the tabla started on the age of seven
Ustad Zakir developed a deep curiosity within the tabla on the tender age of seven. Below the strict, disciplined steering of his father, the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha, he underwent rigorous coaching. By the point most youngsters had been simply studying to learn music, Zakir was already giving public performances, showcasing his early genius.
3. He earned Rs 5 for his first efficiency
At simply 12 years previous, Zakir earned his first cost for a tabla efficiency — a humble 5 rupees. It was a small sum, however it carried the load of a dream. From that second, his journey started, one that might take him far past these early, modest phases to the hearts of music lovers world wide, redefining the position of Indian percussion on the worldwide stage.
4. Ustad Zakir even explored appearing!Â
Whereas his tabla remained on the core of his id, he stepped in entrance of the digital camera with a pure ease. In Warmth and Mud (1983), he portrayed the musician he at all times was, blurring the traces between artwork and life. Later, in Saaz, impressed by the legendary Mangeshkar sisters, his presence lent authenticity to the story. Most just lately, he appeared in Dev Patel’s Monkey Man.
5. He taught at Standford
Ustad Zakir’s affect prolonged to academia as effectively. He served as an Outdated Dominion Fellow and full music division professor at Princeton College through the 2005–2006 tutorial 12 months. He additionally labored as a visiting professor at Stanford College, the place he shared his profound data of rhythm and music with college students.
6. He collaborated with the world’s greatest music legends
Within the Nineteen Seventies, Ustad Zakir’s tabla turned a bridge between worlds. He collaborated with icons like Beat Technology poet Allen Ginsberg, George Harrison, John Useful and Sir George Ivan Morrison. Greater than performances, these collaborations had been conversations, together with his rhythms talking to musicians and listeners throughout cultures and genres.
7. He made historical past with ‘Shakti’
Ustad Zakir’s position within the fusion band Shakti was transformative. The band’s first album, launched in 1976, modified the music scene. After a decades-long hiatus, Shakti reunited in 2020 to launch This Second, which went on to win the Grammy Award for Greatest World Music Album, triumphing over famend artists.
As his passing leaves an vacancy that phrases can’t fill, the four-time Grammy winner’s presence on stage and display has left an indelible legacy. His rhythms will eternally echo in our hearts, inspiring generations to come back.
Edited by Khushi Arora; All footage courtesy Zakir Hussain (Instagram)
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