My hands are trembling with excitement as I write this tribute to the legend Padma Vibhushan (India’s second highest honor) Ustad Zakir Hussain who has been an integral part of our formative years. Excitement amalgamates with anxiety as I wait with bated breath to watch him yet again in flesh as he and John McLaughlin and other legends such as Shankar Mahadevan embark on the golden jubilee tour of the Indo Fusion band Shakti – meaning Power. Shakti is another name for the Goddess Parvati and has an extremely envious positioning in the pantheons of Indian mythology.
My memory reel throws up plethora of initial and fond visuals of Ustad Zakir Hussain and even before that, his legendary Abba Ustad Allah Rakha Khan who made the leather on Tabla dance to their fingers. Those who know or have heard of Tabla, will agree with my analogy that Tabla is akin to Potato. By itself, Tabla can be delicious and melodious but when paired with another vegetable or even meat, can be the catalyst which will enhance the other vegetables no end, likewise Tabla will enhance and enchant the performance of other instrument like no other. When you have the legendary father son pair plying their trade, you are going to be mesmerized at the marvel of their art.
Ustad Allah Rakha Khan for his legendary devotion to this form of art was blessed with some of the supremely talented children – Ustad Zakir Hussain being the crown jewel of them, others being Faisal Qureshi and Taufeeq Qureshi. It was almost like between Ustad Allah Rakha Khan and Ustad Zakir Hussain made up A to Z of Tabla and they covered the entire universe with their skills and performances which time and again transported you to another galaxy.
February 28th, for the ones living in Mumbai and especially Juhu if you are like me, was a day that would be penciled on the calendar as a day for aficionados to be transformed to another world at Prithvi Theater. I haven’t been to Hogwarts the wizard school, but this performance is when I came the closest to. This was a performance one would wait for with bated breath and I am talking about late 1980’s and early 1990’s when I was still an engineering student and this was an era when there were no mobile phones, let alone smartphones. That was the day every year when the legendary Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma ji and Ustad Zakir Hussain would transcend on the stage to unfurl the wizardry that had you hypnotized and would take few moments to return from being spellbound.
One of the years I remember (1991) was even more fortunate when I had an opportunity to sit by the feet of both these legendary magicians and was announced by another legend Shashi Kapoor that Ustad Zakir Hussain had just won the grammy for Planet Drum. Fortunately, I have had the privilege of watching this couple of times, and this was before I left the shores of India to the United States and even at Kalaghoda/Banganga type festivals where you would some of the greatest ever with their instruments. I watched Zakirsaab perform couple of times in US as well but magic in the amphitheater ambiance of Prithvi Theater was something different. What was amazing to watch was the humility with which Ustad Zakir Hussain performed in front of Panditji and admired and revered the fact that he was performing with a contemporary of his illustrious father while matching every step.
Interestingly, I read that this program was rekindled this year in the same building and had who’s who of the world in attendance as I remember 1991 as well when similar galaxy of stars was there. Obviously, Panditji and Kapoorsaab have both sailed into the ages so things would obviously have a different look. The new generation is definitely fortunate as they can capture the memories on their smartphones even trying to steal a few selfies with Ustad.
Hindustani music has seen some iconic jugalbandis which have been truly unique and generations have collaborated, right from Ustad Allah Rakha Khan and Pandit Ravishankar to Ustad Zakir Hussain who performed with Pandit Ravishankar and then with Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma to Ustad Amjad Ali Khan saab and then with a generation below of the similar lineage – Rahul Sharma, Rakesh Chaurasia, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Khan and your jaw can only drop while appreciating the melodious synchronization that these jugalbandis were able to display.
I am a mere mortal unable to identify ragas from one another and rhythms as they reverberate off of Tabla; what I enjoyed was the sheer pleasure that you could get from watching the magic unfold and the serenity and soothe the music brings for your psyche. I have fortunately had the pleasure of listening to the fusion by Shakti multiple times albeit never in person and this is when number of geniuses collaborate for the album This Moment. Shakti was a group that was formed in 1974 with the Englishman John McLaughlin and our own Ustad Zakir Hussain alongwith L. Shankar on violin and Master Vikku Vinayakram who made the earthen matka (ghatam) match up to the tunes of other instruments. This was a fusion group conceived by some of the legends of the industry and it is only befitting that this group is now in their 50th year.
Legendary Ustad also had dabbled on celluloid and modeled for one of the iconic TV ads combining three icons of India – Brooke Bond Red Label Chai, Iconic Wonder of the World Taj Mahal and Ustad Zakir Hussain with Wah Taj ad. Eons have been passed but that ad is still vivid in the memories.
Came across a beautiful story narrated by the legend himself how his legendary father who was a devout Muslim had narrated his rhythms into the newborn baby Zakir’s ears and called it as his prayers to Maa Saraswati and Lord Ganesh thus yet again reiterating that classical Hindustani music transcends above the religion. This story alongwith the one narrated by Ustad Bismillah Khan about Kashi temple are up there on this topic. Maa Saraswati has never been partial towards one religion and has been rewarding to the men and women who devote their lives through Riyaz and make it their life’s mission to keep the art and tradition alive.
More of research into Zakir Hussain’s life and he talked about the music lessons he got from his legendary Abba who would train at 2:30 am for few hours, after which he would go to Islamic school followed by Christian school and while growing up, how he harbored the dream of pursuing a career as a rock musician and guess who stopped him in his strides. None other than the Indian Beatle George Harrison himself who was a frequent collaborator of Pandit Ravi Shankar and thus Ustad Allah Rakha Khan who told young Zakir Hussain that there will be countless who will end up taking on percussion, but young Zakir would have an identity of his own and would carve his niche if he brought his own Tabla to the world instead of walking on someone else’s footprints. Fortunately for the world, Ustad Zakir Hussain listened to George Harrison and the world didn’t get deprived.
Hindustani classical has been fortunate to dole out a repertoire of all-star artists and feel lucky to have been born and raised in that era where you could marvel in awe with these magical musicians make their instruments alive. I wrap this up with a request and urge to the connoisseurs of Hindustani and music in general to lap up on such opportunities as they are few and far between. Beauty of Zakirsaab’s career is that his work has literally transcended the generations and while he worked with some of his abba’s contemporaries such as Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Vikku Vinayakram he also had memorable jugalbandis with Rahul Sharma and Rakesh Chaurasia, Selvaganesh Vinayakram (part of Shakti) the next generation of those legends (Rakesh being the nephew and heir to Chaurasia legacy).
Hindustani classical music isn’t for everyone but if you are a true fan and getting an opportunity to listen to some of the greatest names in the world to watch them display their gamut of skills and talent that they are blessed with and watch them enthrall you, I would say you should not give up on these opportunities. The music and the talent have been passed on through the generations and it is only mythical to watch such legends perform. Fortunately, I have been privy to some of these magnificent performances over my life and wouldn’t give up another opportunity especially if it is so close to my home. Ustad Zakir Hussain is someone you have to see it to believe and how at 72, still brings the charisma and childlike exuberance in front of his favorite toy. He has already been bestowed India’s second greatest honor Padma Vibhushan and is a worthy recipient of being upgraded to Bharat Ratna.
This work would be incomplete if I miss writing tribute to the other legend in the group such as the great John McLaughlin. There was a story which I read about how once Shakti was penned to perform in 1975 at a Black Sabbath concert and those who know about the rock group, know that their sartorial choices differed from Shakti’s and hence an interesting combination. However, Shakti opened the concert and John truly controlled the flow and even got immense applause from the headbangers of Black Sabbath. John also like Zakirsaab had plied his trade with the likes of Carlos Santana and had given guitar lessons to the likes of Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, another iconic band. Shakti as a band brings to life both Carnatic and Hindustani music among others and gives a 180-degree spin to that.
Shankar Mahadevan for instance has been another one who has taken music to another level and even his rendition of Breathless was breathtaking and he has dabbled in multiple things – be it composing music as a part of his three man band, obviously doling out hits after hits, his equivocal excellence on Bollywood and Classical genre, his amazing judging on multiple reality shows, he even was an Engineering student (one of the reasons for an engineer like me to feel prouder as have seen good engineering actors but not such acclaimed and adept singers). Shankarji also runs his academy and has been an encouraging force for the youth who plan to pursue musical career, there are number of proteges that he has “blessed” with his knowledge and guidance.
They don’t make men like that anymore and I thank one above to grant me an opportunity to see them perform again.
