USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN
Tabla Player
Zakir Hussain Alla Rakha Qureishi, one of the most accomplished
Tabla player in the world was born in Mumbai on 9 March, 1951.The style and
mastery over the Tabla seen in his brilliant performances have established
him as a genius in the world of percussion both in India and abroad. This
innovator has helped in bridging both the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions
as well as the East and the West by performing with North and South Indian
masters as well as with western musicians.
Zakir Hussain, son of renowned tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha,
showed unusual talent on tabla drums as a child. He began his musical career
at the age of seven and was touring by the age of twelve. At the age of 19,
he accompanied the legendary sitar player, Pandit
Ravi Shankar to the United States to perform at the Fillmore East.
Three years later, he became the leader of the Tal Vadya Rhythm Band. The
group subsequently evolved into the Diga Rhythm Band. In 1976, the band collaborated
on a self-titled album with Mickey Hart of Grateful Dead. In 1975, Hussain
joined with British guitarist John McLaughlin, Indian violinist L. Shankar
and ghatam drummer Vikku Vinayakram to form the east-meets-west super group,
'Shakti'. Although the group disbanded in 1978, they reunited to tour as Remember
Shakti in 1998. He founded Moment Records in 1992 which releases recordings
and live concerts albums of great masters in Classical music.
In
1987, Zakir's first solo release, 'Making Music', was acclaimed as 'one of
the most inspired East-West fusion albums ever recorded'. He has also composed
and released many albums with the likes of George Harrison, Van Morrison,
Joe Henderson etc and soundtracks of films like 'Apocalyse Now', 'In Custody',
'Little Buddha', 'Heat and Dust' etc for which he was nominated for the best
music Director at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. He arranged the opening music
for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Zakir has received many awards for his contributions to the
world of music. In 1988, he became the youngest percussionist to be awarded
the title 'Padma
Shri' by the Indian government. In 1990, he was awarded the Indo-American
Award, in recognition for his outstanding contribution to relations between
the United States and India. In 1991, the President of India honoured him
with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. In 1992, one of the projects 'Planet
Drum' that Zakir Hussian did with Mickey Hart, received a Grammy for 'Best
World Music Album', the Downbeat Critics Poll for 'Best World Beat Album'
and the NARM India Best Seller Award for World Music Recording. This
musical maestro continues to tour the world tirelessly in various live concerts. Zakir
married to Antonia Minnecola,an Italian American, Kathak
dancer and they have two grown daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.
Official website: http://www.momentrecords.com/
