Ustad Zakir Hussain: A Once-in-a-Generation Phenomenon

‘कहते हैं बड़े पेड़ के तले कोई पौधा नहीं पनपता…गलत। साधना से यह भी संभव है। तबला की दुनिया में एक बहुत बड़ा नाम है उस्ताद अल्लारखा खां साहब, आप और हम सभी जानते हैं, उन्हीं के घर जन्मा एक लाल…ज़ाकिर। पूत के पाँव पालने में दिखाए दिए गए थे, पिता के कंधों पर चढ़ कर आकाश छू लिया, और ज़ाकिर से ज़ाकिर हुसैन बने और वह कहते हैं न कि खाने-खेलने के उम्र में ही उस्ताद ज़ाकिर हुसैन बन गए।‘

(“People say that no plant grows under a large tree… but that’s wrong. Through dedication, even this is possible. In the world of tabla, one of the greatest names is Ustad Allarakha Khan Sahab, as we all know. Born in his household was a bright star… Zakir. From an early age, he showed exceptional talent, and by climbing on his father’s shoulders, he reached the skies. From Zakir, he became Zakir Hussain, and as they say, at a young age, he had already become Ustad Zakir Hussain.”)

– Famous actor Shashi Kapoor on Ustad Zakir Hussain in the famous docu-series ‘Sadhna’

Zakir Hussain Qureshi was born on March 9th, 1951, to Allarakha Qureshi and Bavi Begum. It is said that the eldest of their sons, born after three daughters, was named by a Fakir (saint) who predicted that his arrival would improve the health of his father, Allarakha Qureshi, who had been suffering from a prolonged illness. As a Gandabandh Shagird of his father, Ustad Allarakha, Zakir ji’s training started at a very young age. Despite his busy schedule as a performer, Ustad Allarakha would return home late after his concerts, wake his son, and sometimes begin his lessons as early as 2 am. At the age of twelve, Zakir ji gave his first performance, accompanying the renowned sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khansahab. Later, he gained exposure to various genres of music and their diverse arrangements while working with film orchestras. 

At the age of seventeen, Zakir ji undertook a forty-day self-imposed retreat known as a ‘Chilla,’ during which he had a premonition that he would soon travel to America. This vision was soon realized when he first traveled to the USA with Pt. Ravi Shankar to perform at the Fillmore East on February 22, 1970. 

On the insistence of Pt. Ravi Shankar, Zakir ji took up a teaching position at University of Washington after finishing a short tour with Pandit ji in the USA. Within two years, Ali Akbar Khansahab approached Zakir ji to become instructor at his college, the Ali Akbar College of Music in California. Over time, he was introduced to notable figures like Mickey Hart, with whom he formed an alliance for Hart’s album ‘Rolling Thunder’ in 1972 and also created ‘The Diga Rhythm Band’, and with John McLaughlin, for the famous East-West Indian-Jazz fusion ensemble ‘Shakti’ in 1973.

While exploring and collaborating with Western musicians, Zakir Ji never lost touch with his roots, frequently performing alongside legendary figures of Indian Classical Music such as Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Vidushi Girja Devi, and Vidushi Kishori Amonkar, among others, both in India and abroad. His solo performances and duets with Ustad Alla Rakha Khan Sahab were also highly anticipated.

Further into his career, he teamed up with bassist Bill Laswell for Tabla Beat Science, a collaboration that brought the tabla into the world of electronic music. Later in his life, he conceived projects such as a multi-percussion ensemble called Masters of Percussion, a trio called Crosscurrents with Chris Potter and Dave Holland, and collaboration with Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer, which toured extensively for performances. His list of collaborations and musical experiments is vast and varied.

Zakir ji was awarded ‘Padma Shri’ in the year 1988, ‘Padma Bhushan’ in 2002 and ‘Padma Vibhushan’ in 2023. He received his first Grammy in 1991 for the album Planet Drum with Mickey Hart. In 2009, he won another Grammy for his collaboration again with Mickey Hart and others on the album Global Drum Project. At the 66th Grammy Awards in 2024, he won three more Grammys: one for his album This Moment as part of Shakti, the fusion band, and two for, a track Pashto and another for the album As We Speak with Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia.

Words fall short to describe his virtuosity, in the documentary Destination Music: India Saptak, filmed during the Saptak Annual Music Festival in 2006, Ustad Zakir Hussain says, ‘This culture (i.e., Indian Classical Music) calls for spontaneous creativity and improvisation, which is not something you can simply read off a piece of paper. You must be able to embody the music and become its vehicle; it has to become second nature to you.’ All we can say is that he was one of those rare legendary artists who truly lived this philosophy and became a guiding light for future generations. He always acknowledged that his father, Ustad Alla Rakha Khansahab, Pt. Kishan Maharaj Ji, and Pt. Samtaprasad Ji were the ones who brought the tabla to the forefront. Future generations will remember Zakir Ji as the one who not only carried forward this legacy but also broadened the instrument’s horizons in remarkable ways.

Ustad Zakir Hussain’s Association with Saptak

Zakir Ji had a long-standing relationship with Pt. Nandan Mehta and Saptak, right from its inception, and he recognized the efforts Saptak had made in promoting and preserving Indian Classical Music. His message on the occasion of Saptak’s silver jubilee reflects this.

 ‘Please accept my heartfelt congratulations to Saptak on completing 24 glorious years. Abbaji, our family and I have been connected with Saptak since its inception. As a teaching institute, Saptak’s contribution to the world of music has been significant. The Saptak festivals over the years have been organized with great finesse and dedication. It is wonderful to see young artists being given a platform to perform at these festivals. The senior artists who perform at these festivals become a source of inspiration for the young and upcoming musicians. I wish Saptak many, many more years of service to the world of classical music.’

During his visits to Ahmedabad for the Saptak Annual Music Festival, he would often visit ‘Shivsadan’—Pt. Nandan Mehta’s residence—where Pt. Kishan Maharaj ji also stayed during the festival, to meet with them.

On one such visit, Zakir ji noticed a vintage 1956 model of Fiat among Pt. Nandan Mehta’s car collection. He was so taken with it that Pt. Nandan Mehta later had a similar car made and gifted it to Zakir ji.

In his foreword for the book on Pt. Nandan Mehta, Zakir ji has beautifully captured Pt. Nandan Mehta’s persona as follows:

‘Nandan Mehta was a dear friend and an exceptional student of the art of Tabla. He was a modern day example of Guru Shishya Parampara tradition. He has done his Guru Pt. Kishan Maharaj ji proud by striving not only to be a good Tabla Player, but also having done his Guru great service by preserving and passing on the precious knowledge that he received from him. In mythology we talk about examples of Eklavya. But today we can say that we have seen this love, devotion and surrender by a Shishya. To me, that is Nandan Mehta.’

Pt. Nandan Mehta and Ustad Zakir Hussain at backstage during Saptak Annual Music Festival

On 5th January 2006, at the request of Nandan ji, Zakir ji felicitated Pt. Kishan Maharaj ji alongside other stalwarts such as Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Rajan Mishra, Pt. Sajan Mishra, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, and others, in the presence of the audience at the Saptak Annual Music Festival. That same year, he visited the Saptak Archives to tour the facility and the school.

He recognized the importance of such institutions in preserving our music for future generations and praised Saptak’s efforts through its archives. As a gesture of appreciation, he donated a high-end Neumann KM184 microphone to the Saptak Archives.

In 2008, following the passing of Pt. Kishan Maharaj ji, Zakir ji expressed his desire to pay tribute to Pt. Kishan Maharaj ji to Nandan ji. Thus, a special Tabla solo concert was organized at the Town Hall on July 17, 2008, as a tribute to Maharaj ji. His incredible performance served as a fitting tribute, offered by both Saptak and Zakir ji together.

This was not the first time such a concert had been organized at Zakir ji’s request. In the year 1996, Saptak Pariwar organized a special program on his request to raise funds for Shri Rajaramji, who had devoted his life to serving artists. The two-hour Tabla solo concert remains etched in the memories of those who experienced it live. Zakir ji was accompanied by Ustad Sultan Khansahab on Sarangi. 

All of Zakir ji’s performances at the Saptak Annual Music Festival have been unforgettable, whether it was his accompaniment with Pt. Ravi Shankar ji, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Shri Rahul Sharma, his unique collaboration in a duet with Ustad Shahid Parvez and Vidwan U. Srinivas, or a Taal Vadya Kacheri with Vidwan Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman. 

From Pt. Ravi Shankar ji’s rendition of Raag Gunji Kanada in Tishra Jaati Rupak at the 1997 Saptak Festival, to Pt. Shivkumar Sharma acknowledging his sensibilities in providing ‘theka’ during their performance in 2004, or the tabla skin tearing during his performance with Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia at the 1994 festival, after which a new tabla was provided and the concert continued with full vigor, each moment has been a testament to his extraordinary artistry.

His solo performances were truly distinctive; bringing a unique energy to the stage, especially when legends like Pt. Kishan Maharaj ji was in the audience. One such remarkable instance took place in 1995, when Zakir ji presented a tabla solo in Ekataal—an unconventional time cycle for such a performance. On January 6, 2010, he performed another memorable solo at Saptak, with an esteemed audience including Pt. Rajan Mishra, Pt. Sajan Mishra, Pt. Kumar Bose, Pt. Puran Maharaj, and Ustad Ashish Khan.

The people of Ahmedabad adored him, consistently gathering in massive numbers to witness his performances. The audience was often so large that many had to sit on the stage itself to accommodate everyone. 

His deep connection with Saptak and the Ahmedabad audience was evident in 2012. Initially, he was unable to provide a date for a performance in the upcoming festival due to a packed schedule, but he called at the end of December 2011 to explore the possibility of performing. He ultimately performed a solo on January 8, 2012, during the festival.

In 2019, Saptak dedicated the festival to the centenary celebrations of Ustad Allarakha. Zakir ji graced the event, and alongside Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Vidushi Manju Mehta, and Shri Prafull Anubhai, released a CD featuring selected recordings of Ustad Allarakha from the Saptak Festival Archives. Later, he accompanied Pt. Shivkumar Sharma ji in an unforgettable performance.

In the 45th edition of the Saptak Annual Music Festival in 2025, he had agreed to perform, but later, due to health reasons, he excused himself and promised to come the following year. However, as fate would have it, the legend departed on his final journey on December 15, 2024, in San Francisco, USA. With the passing of Zakirbhai, as he was fondly called, Saptak has lost a great well-wisher, and he will be dearly missed.  

– An Anonymous Music Enthusiast

References: ‘Bhairavi – the Global Impact of Indian Music’ by Peter Lavezzoli