Page 39 - Seniors Today - March Issue

Once Upon a Time | Music
Magic
at his Fingertips
Ustad Zakir Hussain, who turned 70 this month, is one of India’s best-
known classical and popular musicians, writes Narendra Kusnur
One can never forget the composure and
determination on Ustad Zakir Hussain’s face
on February 3, 2000, a few hours after his
father Ustad Allarakha had passed away. A
sizeable crowd of musicians and well-wishers
had gathered to pay their last respects at their
residence, Simla House on Napean Sea Road
in Mumbai, and the tabla wizard greeted each
visitor personally.
One can always say that Hussain had been
carrying forward his father’s legacy for
quite a while, along with his brothers Fazal
Qureshi and Taufiq Qureshi. If anything, the
legend’s demise made the sons even more
determined. The following year onwards,
a day-long Barsi has been held annually to
celebrate the maestro’s life, with Hussain
planning everything in minutest detail.
Hussain, who celebrated his 70th birthday
on March 9, has been one of India’s most
popular musicians for five decades now. As a
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #21 | MARCH 2021
tabla maestro, not only is he respected hugely
in Indian classical music circles, he has also
attracted a huge following abroad with his
work in fusion and world music. While his
fans have admired his good looks and charm,
those who have interacted with him praised
his humility and sense of humour.
Appeal across genres
Two different types of audiences appreciated
Hussain’s music in the 1970s. One of
them followed Indian classical music,
and saw him accompany santoor maestro
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, flautist Pandit
Hariprasad Chaurasia and sarod exponent
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan. Having shifted
from Mumbai to the US, he would visit
India during the music season between
October and February, and play back-to-back
concerts across cities. This was something
he continued till last year, before the Covid
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