Mumbai: The passing of 73-year-old tabla legend Zakir Hussain on December 16 in San Francisco due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, signifies the conclusion of a significant chapter in the history of Indian classical music. It is to be noted that the arrival of Zakir Hussain was met with an unconventional welcome from his father, the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha.
Eschewing traditional blessings, he cradled the infant Zakir, whispering into the neonate’s ears the mesmerising rhythms of the tabla. This initiation at birth foreshadowed a life that would go on to be deeply entwined with the enchanting world of music, as the bass arose from his bassinet. Years later, fate presented a cinematic detour during the filming of the iconic song ‘Pyar Kiya Toh Darna Kya? from the film Mughal-e-Azam at Mohan Studios. Ustad Alla Rakha, present on the set, was intrigued by the possibility of his son portraying the captivating young Salim.
Introduced to the legendary Dilip Kumar who played the older character, the young Zakir received his encouraging nod, a tentative ‘theek hai, kal baat karte hain’ lingering in the air. However, Ustad Alla Rakha was also a man of unwavering resolve. His edict was clear: his son’s destiny lay not in the limelight of the silver screen, but on the rhythmic canvas of the tabla. Thus it was that little Zakir’s path wended its way to the beat of another drummer, and the world was blessed with the artistry of Mughal-e-Awesome.
The actor Jalal Agha eventually played a role in enabling music to get its virtuoso. Zakir had already learned to play the mridangam from his father at the age of three and the tabla followed, and his shows became popular even before he was a teenager – he started touring the world when he was 12. No wonder the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri-winning Zakir ended up with five Grammy awards, three of which came this year.
Not Just The Tsar Of Tabla
Zakir wasn’t just the Tsar of Tabla. He also contributed as an actor, musician and singer in films like Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, apart from several Merchant-Ivory productions like Heat and Dust, In Custody and The Perfect Murder, and the award-winning Malayalam film, Vanaprastham. He even accepted a gig as a teaching faculty at Sanford. Plus, he could not get the acting monkey off his back, as he was recently seen in Dev Patel’s film, Monkey Man, as an actor and that too after starring in films like Saaz and Heat and Dust… and why couldn’t he? Who could have resisted watching that charming face framed in whirling curls swaying to the magical rhythm his hands conjured up from the tabla, looking and sounding every bit like our own rockstar? He did jazz by the way too, as he bonded with the Beatle George Harrison over curd and shared beats, a relationship that was nurtured for over five decades.
It was at the age of 23 that he perked up the game with guitarist John McLaughlin, forming the band Shakti along with the ghatam god Vikku Vinayakram and violinist Lakshminarayana Shankar. Zakir also played with every big musical genius from India – from flutist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia to Santoor Sultan Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, sarod sovereigns Ustads Akbar and Amjad Ali Khan, sitarists Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan and the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar. He even collaborated with Kathak King Pandit Birju Maharaj, apart from consistently performing shows every year, either solo or in collaboration.
The Legacy Of Ustad Zakir Hussain Will Live On Forever
Ustad Zakir Hussain may have departed, but his legacy will forever be etched in the annals of music history. His music will continue to inspire and uplift, a timeless testament to the enduring power of human creativity, a tradition that his brothers Faizal and Taufiq, both amazing percussionists in their own right, carry forward. Every beat, every rhythm, every intricate pattern he created will continue to resonate, reminding us of the power of art – how it can transcend time and touch the human spirit. Zakir, who studied at St. Michaelʼs High School, Mahim, and later graduated from St. Xavierʼs College in Mumbai, is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher and two daughters, Anisa and Isabella.
