2024 ended with another enormous loss to music, with Zakir Hussain dying on Dec 15th. Zakir Hussain was born to rhythm and the tabla, being the eldest son of the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha Qureshi. When Alla Rakha first held his son Zakir, he recited Bols--the North Indian vocalization of classical rhythm--into his son's ears. His wife was annoyed at first, as traditionally he should have whispered a prayer, but Alla Rakha said this was how he prayed, with rhythm. Alla Rakha had changed and elevated the status of the tabla in his long career, and Zakir Hussain continued and expanded this legacy. He first performed with his father as a nine year old, and, by the age of 18, he joined Ravi Shankar for a concert in New York City when Alla Rakha, Shankar's usual partner, was unwell. An 18 year old Zakir impressed the audiences as well as Shankar. Zakir moved to the American West Coast where he taught at universities in Seattle and San Francisco. This also exposed Zakir to other music and he became a voracious musical collaborator, with some enduring partnerships with British jazz guitarist John Mclaughlin, Carnatic musicians L. Shankar and T. H. Vinayakram, and drummer and musicologist Mickey Hart for example. I can't count how many albums I have in my collection with Zakir Hussain playing on them. He was also a composer and a producer, and he was active right up to the end. He departed the world with scheduled appearances in 2025, including Canada, which will never be fulfilled.
We will hear a few seminal recordings in his illustrious career.
| Returning full circle to where Zakir started, with a 67 minute tabla duet with an adult Zakir playing with his father, recorded live in Kolkata in 1991. An unbelievable exploration of rhythmic imagination and variation. It's incredible to think of the thousands of hours then 71 year old Ustad Alla Rakha and 39 year old Zakir had played together before this point. This live recording was the inaugural release of Moment Records, the small record company Zakir Hussain founded in 1991. Its small catalogue mostly features live recordings of some of Hindustani greatest musicians and singers, many of them, but not all, with Zakir accompanying. |
| Tabla Duet in Tintal Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain - Tabla Duet - Moment Records |
| Drummer and musicologist Mickey Hart invited Zakir Hussain to record the album "Planet Drum" with him in 1991. This album featured Mickey Hart and seven other percussionists in an extremely diverse selection of percussion-driven music. Besides Mickey Hart and Zakir, the album included Giovanni Hidalgo and Frank Colón from Puerto Rico, T.H. Vinayakram from India, Sikiru Adepoju and Babatunde Olatunji from Nigeria, and Airto Moreira from Brazil. I do not put much stock in Grammy awards, but for what it's worth, "Planet Drum" won the inaugural Grammy award for Best Global Music Album in 1992. |
| Udu Chant Mickey Hart - Planet Drum - Rykodisc |
| The Dancing Sorcerer Mickey Hart - Planet Drum - Rykodisc |
| One of Zakir Hussain's many recordings with L. Shankar, from 1984. |
| Song For Everyone Shankar, Jan Garbarek, Zakir Hussain, Trilok Gurtu - Song For Everyone - ECM |
| In 1973, British jazz guitarist John Mclaughlin, who was fascinated by Indian classical music and had already been composing and recording music influenced by Indian classical in a band named Mahavishnu Orchestra, met Zakir Hussain. They jammed together and felt an instant musical connection. They formed the legendary group Shakti with Carnatic violinist L. Shankar and percussionist T. H. Vinayakram. These musical friendships lasted the rest of Zakir's life. Their first album was a wonderful live album recorded in New York in 1975. They were also joined by mridangam player R. Raghavan for this performance. We will hear the breathtaking, and delightfully titled piece "What Need Have I For This--What Need Have I For That--I Am Dancing At The Feet Of My Lord--All Is Bliss--All Is Bliss"
Zakir Hussain recorded a few other albums with L. Shankar and T.H. Vinayakram, including the stunning 1995 "Raga Aberi", which I had featured in my 30 for 30 last year. https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/105/67068.html |
| What Need Have I For This--What Need Have I For That--I Am Dancing At The Feet Of My Lord--All Is Bliss--All Is Bliss Shakti with John McLaughlin - Shakti with John McLaughlin - Columbia |
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The loss of Zakir Hussain is indeed very sad. A tremendous collaborator and innovator, for sure, and some of my personal faves. I look forward to this program, though as often for me can't go heads-down 'live' -- OnDemand later. Especially looking forward to Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain Duet, which I have never heard. As well as (original) 'Shakti', which I know but do not have in my collection (yet!). (Know 'Remember Shakti' very well.) Another long-term is his colab work with Bill Laswell and stellar company, Tabla Beat Science. Fantastic out-there fusion. Really moved the yardstick. (And being Laswell produced sound quality is just excellent too.) Peace&BEATS
12:47 PM, January 2nd, 2025