‘Wah, Ustad!’: Zakir Hussain gave tabla new identity, fused music to make magic

His fingers flew, fluttered and floated in quicksilver changes of raga and rhythm, drumming up music and magic. Zakir Hussain was the maestro of tabla, percussionist, composer and even actor – a legend who was India’s very own and yet belonged to the world.

          Hussain died from ‘idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis’, a lung disease, in a San Francisco hospital early Monday. He was 73.

          The artiste, a marquee name in India and abroad, leaves behind more than 60 years of music. He played on the stage alongside some of the greatest Indian and international musicians in a fusion of Indian classical and world music, giving the tabla a whole new identity.

          The great percussionist created music across genres and styles, including in his repertoire jazz and concertos, naturally developing an “all-inclusive musical creativity” after learning and playing under the tutelage of his father and renowned tabla player, Alla Rakha.

          “The mindset as I was growing up tuned itself to the idea that music is music, it’s not Indian music or that music, so when I actually started working with musicians who were non-Indian it seemed like a natural handshake,” Hussain told PTI almost a year ago ahead of a performance in Goa.

          As the son of Alla Rakha, one of the greatest tabla players of all time, Hussain was to the music born.

          He started early. The child prodigy performed his first concert at the age of seven and began touring at 12. After completing his education in Mumbai, where he was born, he moved to the United States in 1970.

          The borders melted away when it came to his music.

          In February, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February for Best Global Music Album, Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

          “I am overwhelmed and humbled by the outpouring of love, affection, and blessings for my multiple Grammy wins. It is impossible for me to individually respond to all of you but be assured that you are all in my heart and I’m bowing to each and every one of you in thanks. It was a great day for India at the Grammys and I’m proud to be carrying the national flag,” he wrote on Instagram at the time.

          At the 2024 Grammys, Hussain earned his first honour for best global music album for “This Moment” as part of the fusion music group Shakti, which includes founding member British guitarist John McLaughlin, as well as vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram.

          He later won two other awards for the best global music performance for “Pashto” and best contemporary instrumental album for “As We Speak”, along with flautist Rakesh Chaurasia, American banjo player Bela Fleck and American bassist Edgar Meyer.

In January last year, the Shakti quintet reunited for a world tour in India to much excitement from fans.

          Other than Shakti, Hussain also contributed to many groundbreaking collaborations, including Masters of Percussion, Planet Drum and Global Drum Project with Mickey Hart, Tabla Beat Science, Sangam with Charles Lloyd and Eric Harland, CrossCurrents with Dave Holland and Chris Potter, in trio with Béla Fleck and Edgar Meyer, and, most recently, with Herbie Hancock.

          Hussain composed three concertos. His third, the first-ever concerto for tabla and orchestra, was premiered in India in September 2015, by the Symphony Orchestra of India, in Europe and the UK in 2016, and in the US in April, 2017.

          The composer who travelled and performed all across the globe had reservations against performing at private gatherings and disliked latecomers. He was also very vocal in his views.

          In a conversation with author Nasreen Munni Kabir as written in her book “Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music”, Hussain said a private gathering, corporate events or weddings are not places “where music should be heard”.

          “Those are places where people come to socialize, to drink and perhaps have a meal. That’s not the way music should be heard. For me, it’s the concert hall or the theatre-people take their seats, the hall darkens and we musicians take our place,” he said.

          Hussain would ask the organisers to close the doors once the performance begins and not allow latecomers.

          Then there was the man himself. His broad smile, boyish good looks and curly locks keeping rhythm with his fingers gave him a distinctive star persona that sometimes went beyond his music.

          The percussionist was once voted the “sexiest man” by women readers of the Indian magazine “Gentleman” in 1994 in a competition against the likes of Amitabh Bachchan.

          “The magazine team came to see me and wanted me to wear all these suits and jackets and Western clothes and feature on their cover. I think they were equally shocked and surprised that I won the greatest number of votes because they had assumed the winner would be Amitabh Bachchan,” Hussain is quoted as saying by Kabir.

          Besides his work as a tabla player, Hussain also composed music for many movies, including “Manto” and “Mr and Mrs Iyer”.

          He also acted in the Merchant Ivory film production “Heat and Dust”, “The Perfect Murder” and “Saaz”, opposite Shabana Azmi.

          In 1988, Hussain became a household name as the face of the Taj Mahal Tea brand.

          In a 33-second TV commercial, the ustad was shown immersed in his tabla riyaaz, only to later sip on a cup of Taj tea. The voiceover, by the famous Harish Bhimani, would then compliment Hussain’s skills saying “Wah Ustad, wah!”. To which, the percussionist would reply: “Arre huzoor, wah Taj boliye!”

          That “Wah Taj” became an oft used buzzword for many an occasion, and still remembered all these years later.

          The same year, Hussain also shared screen space with his father Allah Rakha in the iconic national integration song “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” which premiered on Doordarshan.

          He is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola and two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.

          Apart from four Grammys, Hussain was the recipient of countless awards and honours, including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the USA’s National Heritage Fellowship and Officier in France’s Order of Arts and Letters.

          As his countless fans bid farewell to the artiste who transcended boundaries, of music and of geography, and went too soon, many could only say – “Wah Ustad”