Zakir Hussain: A wizard who told stories on the tabla

The death of Ustad Zakir Hussain on Monday marks the end of a flamboyant career in Indian classical music. 

The eldest son of tabla maestro Alla Rakha, he brought glamour to tabla playing, till then regarded as a solemn, restrained art.

In 1969, Alla Rakha accompanied Pandit Ravi Shankar at the Woodstock music festival in the US. The concert is regarded as the watershed moment when Indian classical music stormed its way into the hearts of Western audiences. Zakir Hussain built on this momentum and earned a rockstar-like reputation across the world.

Born on March 9, 1951, Zakir Hussain spent his early years in Mumbai, training under his father. He moved to the US in 1970. Eight years later, he married Italian-American Kathak dancer Antonia Minnecola, from whom he had two daughters. His brothers Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi are also well-known percussionists.

In a widely circulated video clip, Zakir Husain describes how Ustad Alla Rakha had whispered rhythms into his ear as soon as he was born. When Bavi Begum, the livid mother, demanded to know why he wasn’t reciting Islamic prayers, Alla Rakha had said that the rhythms were indeed his prayers. Thus, Zakir Husain’s training began when he was still in the cradle.

Debuting on stage at seven, Zakir Husain accompanied all the greats of Indian music in a career spanning six decades.

He was regarded as a brilliantly inventive percussionist with the ability to tell compelling stories with his rhythms.

While classical musicians of an earlier era believed their art should do all the talking, he took inspiration from the sitar legend Ravi Shankar, going the extra mile to explain the nuances of his music to uninitiated crowds. In the process, he took Indian classical art to new audiences—notably Americans and young Indians.

After a 2009 concert, The New York Times wrote about the “impish strain” in his “exuberant” playing. All his life, Zakir Hussain remained open to diverse genres and influences. Most notably, in 1973, he collaborated with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar and ghatam player Vikku Vinayakram to form the jazz fusion band Shakti.

In the same year, he recorded an album with George Harrison, guitarist of The Beatles. His lengthy discography showcases his creative friendships with musicians of many persuasions. A later avatar of Shakti included Mandolin Shrinivas and singer Shankar Mahadevan. Shakti created a heady mix of jazz and Indian rhythms and melodies.

Zakir Hussain was involved in creating scores for numerous films, especially international productions set in india. He acted in the Merchant-Ivory production ‘Heat and Dust’ (1983), the Malayalam production ‘Vanaprastham’ (1998), and a handful of other films.

A documentary on his life and times, made in 2003, is titled ‘The Speaking Hand.’ A popular TV ad featured him promoting a tea brand.

‘Zakir bhai’, as he was called by his peers, was honoured with numerous awards, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhusan and Padma Vibushan. He won four Grammys, three of them this year. In his passing, India has lost a charismatic ambassador who presented Indian classical music with fresh, youthful energy.