Zakir Hussain: A Life for Music: A wonderful book

Zakir Hussain: A Life for Music: A wonderful book

The Tabla is collective term for two drums: the smaller being the tabla playing by right hand & the larger being the bass drum called as Dugga which is being played by left hand. When Ustad Zakir Hussain plays the Tabla, it resounds with rhythm, technique and emotion in equal measure which makes this prodigious exponent a global icon. Once An American Singer and Drummer of the grunge brand of Nirvan was asked to define qualities of best drummer in the world. He said,” is it someone that is technically proficient? Or is it someone that sites in the songs with their own feel?  Ringo was the King of feel”. This is nothing but many of Ringo’s best performances go unnoticed. According to Dave Grohi, every musician is the master of feel as well a form of music. This is perfectly applicable to Ustad Zakir Hussain because when he plays Tabla in such a way which says something openly and gives clarity to the audience.  It involves heart to heart interactions between musical instrument and musician. To understand the relations between Musical instruments and musicians, one must read the book,” 'Zakir Hussain: A Life for Music” which is nothing but the conversation between Ustad Zakir Hussain and Nasreen Munni Kabir'. 

From Yogesh Gogwekar

'Zakir Hussain: A Life for Music is fantastic book. In this Ustad tells us about his musical Journey from his early years of training from his father Ustad Alla Rakha which also includes his journey with other musicians Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. This book gives interesting views of Ustad about Indian Classical music and also of a world musician. It is fascinated revelation. Through this book, readers come to know about musicians and some fine personalities which Ustad has come across. 

Ustad Zakir Hussain born on 9^th March 1951 in Mahim, Mumbai. His father Alla Rakha was a renowned Tabla player. Therefore, he starts getting training for Tabla playing from his father at very young age. He started performing on stage at the age of seven. Along with his stage show, he also focussed on his education and he went to the school St. Michael's High School in Mahim and eventually graduated from St. Xavier's in Mumbai. He also did his PhD and received a doctorate in music from the University of Washington.  In his twenties, he started going to United State of America for performing the concerts, he collaborated with western musicians and worked with American bands. 

In 1974, he gets involved in Band SHAKTI along with Jazz guitarist John Maclaughlin, Violinist L. Shankar and Ghatam exponent Vikku Vinayakram. They cemented the cross-culture bond which shook the soundscape with its inventive Carnatic, Hindustani and western synthesis. Through this band, Ustad released his first album Making Music in 1987 which was one of the mist inspired East-West fusion.

In this book, Ustad has also mentioned about his personal life. He has mentioned about his wife Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher, his two daughters  Anisa Qureshi who graduated from UCLA  and also trying her hand in video production and film making and Isabella who is studying dance in Manhattan. He also speaks about his brother Ustad Taufiq Qureshi, a percussionist and Ustad Fazal Qureshi, also a tabla player and also about two sisters Khursheed and Razia who died during the cataract surgery and by listening this ,his father died immediately on next day by heart attack.

Ustad Zakir Hussain is one of the greatest personalities in the contemporary world of Music. We must thanks him to give importance of the Tabla to the world of music which a mere percussion before his era. He as a Tabla payer becomes an inspiration to many young generations and opened the doors for many Indo-Western Collaborations. Other than Tabla, he also learned to play Mridang a classical percussion from his father.

It was proud moments for Indians when Ustad Zakir Husain was invited as first Indian by Barack Obama, the President of United State of America to attend the All-Star Global Concert in the White House.

Ustad Zakir Hussain loves Tabla and has total dedication to it. According to him ,you need to have a relationship with any instrument, because you want it to do your biding. It has to accept you, and show you that it is ready to take leap of faith with you.

It is really good book to read.

Mumbai

09.12.2019