Zakir Hussain (musician)

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Template:Short description Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Ustad Zakir Hussain Qureshi (9Template:NbspMarch 1951Template:Snd15Template:NbspDecember 2024) was an Indian tabla player, composer, arranger, percussionist, music producer and film actor. The eldest son of esteemed tabla player Alla Rakha,<ref name="grammy" /> Zakir Hussain was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation and one of its finest percussionists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He produced music across multiple genres and contributed to popularizing Indian classical music to a global audience.<ref name=":3" />

Often prefixed by the honorific title of 'Ustad', Hussain was awarded the United States National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians. He was also given the Government of India's Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya, in 2018.

Hussain received nine Grammy Award nominations, winning four times,<ref name="grammy" /> including three in 2024.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="hindustantimesgrammy"/> He was described as the most recognizable exponent of the tabla by The Guardian. The New York Times marveled that the "blur of his fingers rivals the beat of a hummingbird's wings."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Ud. Zakir Hussain and Pt. Niladri Kumar, SSF-2022, Nazrul Mancha Kolkata
Hussain and Niladri Kumar, SSF-2022, Nazrul Mancha Kolkata

Early life and education

Zakir Hussain Qureshi was born on 9 March 1951 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, to Alla Rakha Qureshi, one of the most celebrated tabla players in the history of Indian classical music.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="NHF" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His formal training in Hindustani classical music began at the age of seven, starting each of his mornings with three hours of tuition. He started performing in concerts at aged seven, and began touring by the age of twelve.<ref name="auto"/><ref name="NHF" />

Hussain studied at St. Michael's High School in Mahim and graduated from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After college, he discovered the music of Jimi Hendrix and The Doors and considered becoming a rock drummer. However, he was soon dissuaded from this by George Harrison, lead guitarist of The Beatles, who told him that, as a tabla player, he could combine Eastern and Western music to create his own unique sound.<ref name="auto"/>

In the late 1960s, Hussain moved to San Francisco. There, he said he learnt as much from the Grateful Dead's drummer as he had from his classical studies,<ref name="auto"/> including 'how to find the groove and understand the backbeat, and not to play too many notes'. He recalled jam sessions with the band lasting two or three days.<ref name="auto"/>

Career

Hussain performing at Konark, Odisha

Hussain played on George Harrison's 1973 album Living in the Material World and John Handy's 1973 album Hard Work. He was a founder member of jazz-rock guitarist John McLaughlin's fusion group Shakti.<ref name="auto"/> Hussain also performed on Van Morrison's 1979 album Into the Music and Earth, Wind & Fire's 1983 album Powerlight.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> File:Ustad Zakir Hussain Performing Tabla at Bharat Bhavan Bhopal - 07.webm Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, who had known Hussain since the 1960s,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> invited him to create the special album Planet Drum, featuring drummers from different parts of the world. Featured with Hussain, also from India, was Vikku Vinayakram, with whom he had collaborated in Shakti. The first Planet Drum album, released in 1991 on the Rykodisc label, earned the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, the first Grammy ever awarded in this category.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Global Drum Project album and tour brought Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo together again on the 15th anniversary of the Planet Drum album. The album Global Drum Project won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album at the 51st Grammy Awards Ceremony held on 8 February 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Hussain composed, performed and acted as Indian music advisor for the Malayalam film Vanaprastham, a 1999 Cannes Film Festival entry which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI Fest) in 1999. It won awards at 2000 Istanbul International Film Festival (Turkey), 2000 Mumbai International Film Festival (India), and 2000 National Film Awards (India).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He composed soundtracks for several movies, most notably In Custody and The Mystic Masseur by Ismail Merchant, and played tabla on the soundtracks of Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now, Bernardo Bertolucci's Little Buddha, and other films.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He starred in several films which showcased his musical performance, both solo and with different bands, including the 1998 documentary Zakir and His Friends<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and the documentary The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum (2003 Sumantra Ghosal).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Hussain co-starred as Inder Lal in the 1983 Merchant Ivory film Heat and Dust, for which he was an associate music director.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hussain was a founding member of Bill Laswell's world music supergroup Tabla Beat Science.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

For over eighteen years, Hussain's tablas were made by Haridas R. Vhatkar.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> Vhatkar said he learned how to make tablas so that he could make them for Hussain.<ref name=":0" />

Hussain lived most of his life in America, but spent several months each year in his native India, making music for Bollywood films. In 1983, he acted in the Merchant-Ivory film Heat and Dust, opposite Julie Christie.<ref name="auto" /> On one of his return visits to Mumbai, he formed an ensemble, 'The Masters of Percussion', with musicians from different parts of the country, later touring the world with the group. He said his heritage was important to him, and two-thirds of his shows consisted purely of Indian music.<ref name="auto" />

In 2016, Hussain was amongst many musicians invited by President Obama to the International Jazz Day 2016 All-Star Global Concert at the White House.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards on 4 February 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammys at one ceremony: This Moment for Best Global Music Album, Pashto for the Best Global Music Performance, and As We Speak for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, a live collaboration with bluegrass banjo player Bela Fleck and classical double bassist Edgar Meyer.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="grammy"/>

In a conversation with author Nasreen Munni Kabir, recorded in her book Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music, Hussain stated that he did not play at private gatherings, corporate events, or weddings. He believed that music should not be heard at events where people came to socialise, drink or eat, but instead should be the sole purpose of the event.<ref name=":0" />

Hussain was named an Old Dominion Fellow by the Humanities Council at Princeton University, where he resided for the 2005–2006 semester as full professor in the music department.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also a visiting professor at Stanford University.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In May 2022, he was awarded the honorary Doctor of Law (LLD) degree for his contribution to the field of music by the University of Mumbai.<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Book

Nasreen Munni Kabir compiled fifteen interview sessions from 2016 through 2017, each lasting about two hours, into the book Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music, which was published in 2018.<ref name=":0" /> The book described Hussain's life from his youth, his years of intense training and his growth as a musician.<ref name=":0" />

Personal life

Hussain married Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher, who was also his manager.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> They had two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Anisa graduated from UCLA and is a film maker. Isabella is studying dance in Manhattan.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hussain has two brothers: Taufiq Qureshi, a percussionist, and Fazal Qureshi, also a tabla player. Their brother Munawar died at a young age when he was attacked by a rabid dog.<ref name=":0" /> His eldest sister Bilquis died before Hussain was born. A sister, Razia, died from complications during cataract surgery, a few hours before their father's death in 2000.<ref name=":0" /> He has another sister, Khurshid.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hussain in December 2023

Death and legacy

Hussain died on 15 December 2024 in San Francisco, California, from complications from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was 73.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="b385">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Hussain was undoubtedly one of the world's greatest tabla players. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "a true genius who revolutionised the world of Indian classical music." English guitarist John McLaughlin, who performed with Hussain in the band Shakti, described him as "the King, in whose hands, rhythm became magic."<ref name="b385" />

Discography

Title Date Collaborators
Evening Ragas 1970 Vasant Rai
Shanti 1971
Rolling Thunder 1972 Mickey Hart
Shakti 1975 Shakti with John McLaughlin
Karuna Supreme 1976 John Handy with Ali Akbar Khan
Hard Work 1976 John Handy
A Handful of Beauty 1976 Shakti with John McLaughlin
Diga 1976 Diga Rhythm Band
Natural Elements 1977 Shakti with John McLaughlin
Morning Ragas 1979 Vasant Rai
Who's to Know 1980 L. Shankar
Song for Everyone 1985 L. Shankar
Making Music 1987 Jan Garbarek, John McLaughlin and Hariprasad Chaurasia
Tabla Duet 1988 Alla Rakha
Venu 1989 Hariprasad Chaurasia
At the Edge 1990 Mickey Hart
Maestro's Choice Series One 1991 Alla Rakha
Planet Drum 1991 Mickey Hart
When Words Disappear 1991 David Trasoff
Flights of Improvisation 1992
Sangeet Sartaj 1992
The One and Only 1992
Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience 1992
Hazir 1992 Hariharan (singer)
Music of the Deserts 1993
Rag Madhuvanti / Rag Misra Tilang 1993 Shivkumar Sharma
Concert for Peace 1993 Ravi Shankar
Rag Rageshri 1993 Shivkumar Sharma
Jog And Rageshri 1994
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Zakir Hussain 1994 Amjad Ali Khan
Golden Krithis Colours 1994 Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
Raga Aberi 1995 L. Shankar
Maestro's Choice – Series Two 1995 Sultan Khan|
Raag Maand Bhairav 1995 Vilayat Khan
World Network Series, Vol. 1: India- Raga Purya Kalyan 1995 Shivkumar Sharma
The Elements – Space 1996
Mickey Hart's Mystery Box 1996 Mickey Hart
Kirwani 1997
Magical Moments of Rhythm 1997
And the Rhythm Experience 1998
Essence of Rhythm 1998
Night Spinner 1998 George Brooks
Supralingua 1998 Mickey Hart
Fire Dance 1998 Pat Martino
Save Our Children 1998 Pharoah Sanders
Remember Shakti 1999 Remember Shakti
Spirit into Sound 1999 Mickey Hart
The Believer 2000 Remember Shakti
Tala Matrix 2000 Tabla Beat Science
Golden Strings of the Sarode 2001 Aashish Khan
Saturday Night in Bombay 2001 Remember Shakti
Selects 2002
Summit 2002 George Brooks
The Best of Mickey Hart: Over the Edge and Back 2002 Mickey Hart
Live in San Francisco at Stern Grove 2002 Tabla Beat Science
Ustad Mohammad Omar: Virtuoso from Afghanistan 2002
Energy 2003
Live at Miles Davis Hall 2004 Remember Shakti
Live at 38th Montreux Jazz Festival 2004 Remember Shakti
Punjabi Dhamar 2004
Raag Chandrakauns 2004
Shared Moments 2004 Alla Rakha
Sangam 2006 Charles Lloyd, Eric Harland
Soukha 2006 V. Selvaganesh (with John McLaughlin, U. Srinivas, Vikku Vinayakram)
Global Drum Project 2007 Mickey Hart, Imran Hussain, Chandan Sharma, Sikiru Adepoju, Giovanni Hidalgo
The Melody of Rhythm 2009 Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer
Mysterium Tremendum 2012 Mickey Hart Band
Good Hope 2019 Dave Holland, Chris Potter
Is That So? 2020 John McLaughlin, Shankar Mahadevan
In the Groove 2022 Mickey Hart
Trios: Sacred Thread 2022 Charles Lloyd, Julian Lage
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Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, with Rakesh Chaurasia
This Moment 2023 Shakti
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Filmography

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  • Zakir and His Friends (1998)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum (2003) – Sumantra Ghosal<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Talamanam Sound Clash – Further Adventures in Hype (2003 – DVD) – Tabla Beat Science<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • The Way of Beauty (2006 – DVD) – Remember Shakti<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Manto (2018)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Monkey Man (2024)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Soundtracks

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Awards and honours

|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Padma Vibhushan in 2023.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

  • Awarded the Indo-American Award in 1990 in recognition of his outstanding cultural contribution to relations between the United States and India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • In 1992 Planet Drum, an album co-created and produced by Hussain and Mickey Hart, was awarded the first-ever Grammy for Best World Music Album,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> the Downbeat Critics' Poll for Best World Beat Album and the NARM Indie Best Seller Award for a World Music Recording.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • In 2005, he was named an Old Dominion Fellow by the Humanities Council at Princeton University, where he resided for the 2005–2006 semester as full professor in the music department, teaching a survey course in Indian classical music and dance.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Golden Strings of the Sarode (Moment! Records 2006) with Aashish Khan and Hussain was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional World Music Album category in 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • In 2007, readers' polls from both Modern Drummer and Drum! magazines named Hussain Best World Music and Best World Beat Drummer respectively.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • On 23 February 2012 for Guru Gangadhar Pradhan Lifetime Achievement Award at Konark Dance & Music Festival, organised by Konark Natya Mandap<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
  • Summer of 2016, he was nominated for President's Medal of the Arts, however, new rule stated non-Americans could not receive the medal.<ref name=":0" />
  • On 18 January 2017, San Francisco Jazz Center gave Hussain a Lifetime Achievement Award<ref name=":0" />
  • In 2019, Sangeet Natak Academy, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama, honored Hussain with the Academy Fellow award, also known as the Academy Ratna, for the year 2018.<ref name=":0" />
  • In 2022, he was conferred the honorary Doctor of Law (LLD) degree for his exceptional contribution in the field of music by Mumbai University.<ref name=":1" />
  • On 17 June 2022, he was named by the non-profit Inamori Foundation to receive the Kyoto Prize, Japan's highest private award for global achievement, in the category of Arts and Philosophy (field: Music).<ref name="Kyoto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Hussain's first win came for Pashto, written and recorded in collaboration with American banjo player Béla Fleck, American bassist Edgar Meyer and Indian flautist Rakesh Chaurasia. Hussain's second Grammy of the night was for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, which he won alongside Fleck, Meyer and Chaurasia, for the eclectic classical-meets-jazz album, As We Speak. His third win of the night came for the album This Moment, the critically acclaimed comeback of the pioneering world-fusion band Shakti.<ref name="hindustantimesgrammy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> With these nominations, his Grammy totals reached 4 wins and 9 nominations.<ref name="grammy" />

Tribute

The line "Zakir Hussain Tabela Ivaltana" in the Tamil song "Telephone Manipol" in the 1996 film Indian, directed by S. Shankar is a tribute to him. This song was written by poet Vairamuthu.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

References

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