Ustad Zakir Hussain: Goodbye, the incomparable crown of music!

The knowledge of song is a very fast flowing river. Whichever artist you go to learn, he will tell you to take out a cup of water, a bucket of water or a tanker of water from this river, but you have to take it out.

This is your talent. The Guru does not teach the disciple, the disciple inspires the Guru to teach. You come as a disciple thinking that yesterday you learned something else, today you will learn something else, tomorrow you will learn something else, day after tomorrow you will learn something else.

Birth

9 March 1951, Mumbai

Death

15 December 2024, San Francisco, USA

My father was my guru…

Sometimes he is a father, sometimes a Guru, sometimes a friend - for me all these are mixed together. I was two days old when I was placed in my father's lap. We have a tradition of giving a child, many people have a tradition of reciting mantras, but my father recited the words of the Tabla. My mother was also angry. She said - 'What is this, you are reciting the words of the Quran. Pt. Ji said - 'This is my Quran, this is my prayer.' From then on, he would start reciting the words of the Tabla for about an hour and a half every day. I would not have understood anything, but something was being recited in my ears. This is a similar story, as what Arjun told Abhimanyu's mother remained in Abhimanyu's memory somewhere. This is how he trained me.

Respect the instrument...

My father always used to say that this is Saraswati, respect it, don't consider it as a thing on the road. Never keep shoes near the Tabla, never keep your clothes on the Tabla, consider it as an object of worship. Every instrument has a soul, a spirit.

 If you want to become a good artist then you have to take permission from that instrument so that it accepts you. I was 12 years old, since then I started the journey of playing Tabla. We would go from Mumbai, get down at Mughalsarai and change trains, go to Patna or Kolkata. 

We were young and did not have enough money to make reservations etc. At that time, the only thing that mattered was to get into the train. But it also used to be in the mind that father has ordered that this is Saraswati, so the Tabla should not get any jolt. So if I could not get a seat, I would spread a newspaper and sit down and take the Tabla in my lap, so that it does not get jolted.

Tabla is an accompaniment instrument....

It is important for a tabla player to know how to accompany, because you can easily play solo tabla. When you are trained, you are trained for solo. You will play the things you have learnt and will be praised, but unless you know how to accompany, you cannot become a tabla player.

 Today you are playing tabla with Shruti Sadolikar and after 10 days if you have a programme with Kishori Amonkar (now deceased) then your accompaniment will be different. You will have to learn this. You will have to know the bandishes, their expressions. A tabla player needs to have an understanding of singing, instrumental music and dance. 

They should remember their bandishes, gats. I was on a tour with Pandit Ravi Shankar ji. I was 17 years old. One programme took place, then another programme took place, I asked Ravi Shankar ji how is it going? • Ravi Shankar ji said that you play tabla with me, but why don't you look at me? Believe me that on that day when the program took place in the evening, I turned a little closer to Ravi Shankar ji and sat down. That day a new book of music opened.

Damru and conch on the tabla

The words that came out of Shiva's Damru on Mount Kailash were taken by Ganesh ji and tied to the tongue of rhythm. We all play the same words today, because Ganesh ji is our Gurudev. What he wrote for Pakhavaj is now played on Tabla. Imagine, Shiva's Damru is being played on Mount Kailash and his disciples are playing conches, what an atmosphere will be when the sound of both is made together. This is an imagination, a service, the energy of that atmosphere is in the Tabla.

Award

Padma Shri (1998), Padma Bhushan (2002), Padma Vibhushan (2023), five Dougie Awards (1992, 2009, 2024) three Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraska (1990), Sangeet Natak Akademi (2018), National Heritage Fellowship from America (1999)

Movie

He has acted in 12 films including Maj (1997), Panhuviten Enlai (1991), Heat and Dust (1984), Miss Beattieth Chinyun (1992), The

Achievement

First Indian to win three Pammy Awards at once in 2024.

Their sound will keep resonating in heaven too 

I have no words to express. I am completely heartbroken and shocked to hear about Zakir bhai. Ustad Zakir Hussain was a genius. He was indeed one of the most popular musicians and most talented tabla players in the world. 

I had a few concerts with Zakir bhai after 1974 when his father Ustad Allah Rakha was alive. What Zakir bhai did for tabla and Indian classical music across the world is truly unprecedented. He was one of the most loved musicians on earth who spread his light across the world. 

Along with his musical talent, his personality was also unmatched. Apart from excellence in music, the most remarkable aspect of Zakir bhai's personality was that he was extremely helpful to his fellow musicians and friends. He always had extraordinary respect and dedication towards senior musicians. He was always ready to help whenever needed. 

He would even help fellow artist to carry their instruments when needed. He was truly a complete musician, who was extremely humble and had a gracious nature. I will miss him a lot. I pray for his soul to rest in peace! His rhythm will reverberate in heaven too.

He was a genius

It is difficult for an artist like Ustad Zakir Hussain to be born even in a hundred years. I have been in touch with him for about 48 years. I have travelled and performed with him for all these years. I went to America in 1981. 

He was our driver, he took us everywhere, performed with us, we stayed together in the same room for many days. We used to travel a lot in those days on behalf of ITC Music Research Academy.

 I can say that he left us while he was at the peak of his art. I don't know why God takes away such artists from us so soon? One word can be used for Ustad Zakir Hussain - genius, all time genius! He never allowed his work to weaken.

 It is a great thing that Ustad Allah Rakha Sahib got such a son, such a disciple. I have been teaching for 35-40 years, it is very difficult to find such a disciple. I think if he has accompanied anyone the most in singing, it is with me, but he never tried to dominate. 

We have performed together all over the world, in February this year we performed together in Pune. He used to sing very few times, but he used to sing a lot with me.

His presence itself used to give me immense pleasure, because I understood him and he also knew me very well. He came three times on my invitation and did not take any remuneration.

 I believe that even if you are not a good person, you can still be a good artist, but if you are a good person, you will be remembered for a long time. Apart from being a great artist, he was also a very good person.