Musicians - Zakir Hussain

Home > Listing Index > Musicians > Zakir Hussain (musician)

	Musicians - Zakir Hussain

Zakir Hussain (born March 9, 1951), son of tabla maestro Ustad Allarakha, is the most famous classical tabla player in India today. He is appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large as an international phenomenon. Zakir has won many awards and recognitions for his contribution to the world of music. A classical tabla virtuoso of the highest order, his consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure in his own country, but gained him worldwide fame.

Early Life

The gifted son of his father, tabla legend Ustad Alla Rakha, Zakir was touring by the age of twelve. He did his schooling from St. Michael's High School in Mahim. He completed his graduation from St Xaviers, Mumbai. Zakir went to the United States in 1970, embarking on an international career which includes no fewer than 150 concert dates a year.

Proceedings

Zakir has worked with many western and Indian artists alike, and has produced many works for fusion, perhaps most notably with The Beatles. He has also worked with John McLaughlin in Shakti in 1975 and with L. Shankar in the Diga Rhythm Band. Although Shakti was disbanded a few years later, it reunited under the name Remember Shakti.

In 1987, his first solo release, "Making Music," was acclaimed as "one of the most inspired East-West fusion albums ever recorded." In 1988, he became the youngest percussionist to ever be awarded the title of Padma Shri. In 1990, he was awarded the Indo-American Award in recognition for his outstanding cultural contribution to relations between the United States and India. In April, 1991, he was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the President of India, making him one of the youngest musicians to receive this recognition from India's governing cultural institute.

In 1992, Planet Drum, an album co-created and produced by Zakir and Mickey Hart, was awarded a Grammy for Best World Music Album, the Downbeat Critics Poll for Best World Beat Album, and the NARM Indie Best Seller Award for World Music Recording. Planet Drum, with Zakir as music director, toured nationally in 1996 and 1997. Zakir also continues to tour with the musicians from Shakti — John McLaughlin, Shankar and T.H. Vinayakram — in different collaborations and ensembles as well as leading various percussion ensembles of his own design. In Summer'99, Shakti re-grouped for an international tour.

In 1992, Zakir founded live concert performances by great masters of the classical music of India. The label presents Zakir's own world percussion ensemble, The Rhythm Experience, both North and South Indian classical recordings, Best of Shakti, and a Masters of Percussion series. He has collaborated with the bassist on many of his other recordings, Making Music, Planet Drum with Mickey Hart, and recordings and performances with artists as diverse as George Harrison, Imrat Khan, Ravi Shankar, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Jack Bruce, Tito Puente, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, the Hong Kong Symphony and the New Orleans Symphony.

in present life

Zakir is a founding member of Bill Laswell's 'World Music Supergroup' Tabla Beat Science. He is currently a professor in Princeton University for the academic semester. Most recently, he has also composed soundtracks for movies; notable movies are In Custody by Ismail Merchant, Bernardo Bertolucci's Little Buddha, and Heat and Dust. Zakir composed, performed and acted as Indian music advisor and Vanaprastham, chosen to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May, 1999. He is also the recipient of the 1999 National Heritage Fellowship, the United States' most prestigious honor for a master in the traditional arts.

Discography

Making Music (1987)
And the rhythm experience (1998)
Magical moments of rhythm (1997)
Music of the Deserts (1993)
The one and only (1992)

Awards and accolades

Awarded the civilian honour of Padma Shri by the Indian government in 1988
Planet Drum (Produced by Zakir) awarded Grammy for Best World Music album in 1992
Awarded the title of Padma Bhushan by the Indian government in 2002 for his contributions to the field of Indian music.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Zakir Hussain (musician) ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Zakir Hussain (musician); it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay