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Tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain’s performances have brought him countless national and international honours. A Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan recipient, Zakir was recently awarded another Grammy for his album Global Drum Project along with Mickey Hart, writes Deepak Sen After winning the Grammy for a second time recently, tabla player Zakir Hussain is elated, no doubt, but the percussionist says that his most unforgettable experiences, more rewarding and than any award, were when his father Ustaad Allah Rakha Khan appreciated his performance and when sitar maestro Pt Ravishankar addressed him as ustaad.
"Though every award means the good wishes of maestros," says the percussionist. "But," says Hussain says, "The two incidents I treasure most in my life are the ones when for the first time ever my father and teacher Ustaad Allah Rakha Khan appreciated my performance and said theek hai (it is right). "The second was when sitar maestro Pt Ravishankar introduced me as Ustaad Zakir Hussain at a joint performance. I was just 20 years old at that time," he says. "These two events are as good as awards for me," adds the maesto. "Getting an award feels like I am not lagging behind in the art or culture and or being ignored by critics," adds the mesmerising tabla player. Talking about Indian classical music, the maestro says, "It has a rich tradition. The music, based on Sufism, is above all boundaries and all religions. It is secular and there is no place for any demarcations made by the any religion be it Hindu or Muslim." "Music is beyond any religion and community," asserts the man with magical fingers. About the younger generation’s interest in music and the kind of music they opt for, the ustaad says, "The youngsters of our country like to eat all varieties of food. Similarly they go for all kinds of music. The youth in India is more aware than that of west." He also appreciates the focused approach of musicians of today. "Classical music learners are more devoted and focused. They are more hard-working than what I was when I was of their age," he adds. The maestro is also impressed by the versatility of today’s music players. "Today, the youngsters learning classical music have the ability to play Raag Darbari and Raag Malkons and are also well-versed in jazz, pop and fusion. The future of this art is very bright in the hands of such youngsters," says Hussain. About the popularity of Indian classical music abroad he has something interesting to say, "Indian classical music is very popular in foreign countries and its popularity is growing rapidly. So, instead of calling it globalisation, ‘Indianisation’ is the right word," he adds with a twinkle in his eyes. Elaborating on the growing interest in classical music, he says the ratio of audience attending classical music programmes has increased compared to that of any movie award function. Talking about his companion of the Grammy award winning album Global Drum Project, he says, "Mickey Hart and I are rhythm players, and we are both keen learners. That is why we have done so many projects together." Recalling his days spent practicing with Hart, the accomplished tabla maestro says, "Despite being a world famous musician he used to telephone at 1 or 2 in the morning to talk about the creation of a note and to tell me that we would listen to it in the morning." About the popularity of his favourite percussion instrument the ustaad says, "The tabla is just 300-years-old, it is the only musical instrument which has both sur and taal, and this is why it is so popular." About his future
projects the maestro says, "The next part of ‘Global Drum
Project’ is an album with American music company Symphony. I am also
working on another album with santoor player Rahul Sharma." These
albums are among the four projects that the tabla maestro is currently
working on. — PTI
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