Ustad Zakir Hussain (born 9 March 1951) is an Indian

tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

player, composer, percussionist, music producer and film actor. He is the eldest son of tabla player Alla Rakha. He was awarded the

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

in 1988, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002, by the

Government of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

presented by President Abdul Kalam. He was also awarded the

Sangeet Natak Akademi Award Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (IPA: Saṅgīta Nāṭaka Akādamī Puraskāra), also known as the Akademi Puraskar, is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recogni ...

in 1990, given by the Sangeet Natak Academy, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama. In 1999, he was awarded the United States

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

National Heritage Fellowship The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States government's ...

, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians.

Early life and education

Hussain attended St. Michael's High School in Mahim, and was graduated from the St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.

Career

Hussain played on

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

's 1973 album '' Living in the Material World'' and John Handy's 1973 album '' Hard Work''. He also performed on

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

's 1979 album '' Into the Music'' and Earth, Wind & Fire's 1983 album '' Powerlight''.

Mickey Hart Mickey Hart (born Michael Steven Hartman, September 11, 1943) is an American percussionist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 until February 19 ...

of the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...

, who had known Hussain since the 1960s, invited him to create the special album '' Planet Drum'', featuring drummers from different parts of the world. Featured along with Hussain, from India, was Vikku Vinayakram, with whom Hussain had collaborated in Shakti. The first ''Planet Drum'' album, released in 1991 on the Rykodisc label, went on to earn the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, the first Grammy ever awarded in this category. The ''Global Drum Project'' album and tour brought

, Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, and

Giovanni Hidalgo Giovanni Hidalgo a.k.a. "Mañenguito" (born November 22, 1963) is a Latin jazz percussionist. Early years Hidalgo was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where he received his primary education. His grandfather was a musician, and his father, José ...

together again in a reunion sparked by the 15th anniversary of the '' Planet Drum'' album. The album ''Global Drum Project'' won the

Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album was an honor presented to recording artists between 2004 and 2011 for quality contemporary world music albums. The Grammy Awards, an annual ceremony that was established in 1958 and original ...

at the 51st Grammy Awards Ceremony held on 8 February 2009. Hussain composed, performed and acted as Indian music advisor for the

Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...

film ''

Vanaprastham ''Vanaprastham: The Last Dance'' (french: Vanaprastham: La Dernière Danse) is a 1999 Indo-French psychological drama period film in Malayalam-language that was directed by Shaji N. Karun. It was produced by Pierre Assouline and co-produced b ...

'', a 1999

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films ...

entry which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival (AFI Fest) in 1999, and won awards at 2000 Istanbul International Film Festival (Turkey), 2000 Mumbai International Film Festival (India), and 2000

National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...

(India). He has composed soundtracks for several movies, most notably '' In Custody'' and ''

The Mystic Masseur ''The Mystic Masseur'' is a 2001 Merchant Ivory film based on the novel of the same name by V. S. Naipaul. It is one of relatively few films directed by Ismail Merchant, who is better known as the producer in the Merchant Ivory partnershi ...

'' by Ismail Merchant, and has played tabla on the soundtracks of Francis Coppola's ''

Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius and Michael Herr, is loosely based on the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph ...

'',

Bernardo Bertolucci Bernardo Bertolucci (; 16 March 1941 – 26 November 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter with a career that spanned 50 years. Considered one of the greatest directors in Italian cinema, Bertolucci's work achieved international ...

's '' Little Buddha,'' and other films. He starred in several films specifically showcasing his musical performance both solo and with different bands, including the 1998 documentary ''Zakir and His Friends'', and the documentary ''The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum'' (2003 Sumantra Ghosal). Hussain co-starred as Inder Lal in the 1983

Merchant Ivory A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as industry ...

film '' Heat and Dust'', for which he was an associate music director. Hussain is a founding member of Bill Laswell's world music supergroup

Tabla Beat Science Tabla Beat Science was a musical group founded in 1999 by Zakir Hussain and Bill Laswell. Its style consists of a mixture of Hindustani music, Asian Underground, ambient music, drum and bass and electronica. In 2001 Karsh Kale was approached by ...

. In 2016, Hussain was amongst many musicians invited by President Obama to the

International Jazz Day International Jazz Day is an International Day declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2011 "to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe." It is celebrated ...

2016 All-Star Global Concert at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

. Haridas Vhatkar has been making Hussain's tablas for more than 18 years. Haridas said he learned how to make tabla so he could specially make them for Hussain. Hussain has stated that he does not play at private gatherings, corporate events, or weddings; he believes music should not be heard at events where folks come to socialize, drink or enjoy a meal (music should be the sole purpose of the event).

Book

Nasreen Munni Kabir compiled 15 interview sessions (each lasting about 2 hours) from 2016 to 2017 into the book ''Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music'', which was published in 2018. This book takes the reader through Hussain's life from his youth, his years of intense training, and growth as a musician.

Personal life

Hussain married Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher, who is also his manager. They have two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Anisa graduated from UCLA and is trying her hand in video production and film making. Isabella is studying dance in Manhattan. Hussain has two brothers:

Taufiq Qureshi Ustad Taufiq Qureshi (born 1962) is an Indian classical musician. He is a percussionist and a composer. Early life Born in Mumbai, to the legendary tabla player, Ustad Alla Rakha. His eldest brother is a tabla player, Ustad Zakir Hussain. He ...

, a percussionist and

Fazal Qureshi Ustad Fazal Qureshi ( born 13 February 1961) is an Indian tabla player. Born to the tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha, under the guidance of his father/guru, with the inspiration drawn from his brother, Ustad Zakir Hussain, he has also become a t ...

, also a tabla player. Their brother Munawar died at a young age when he was attacked by a rabid dog. His eldest sister Bilquis died before Hussain was born. Another sister, Razia, died due to complications during a cataract surgery, just a few hours before their father's death in 2000. He has another sister named Khurshid. He was named an Old Dominion Fellow by the Humanities Council at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

, where he resided for the 2005–2006 semester as full professor in the music department. He was also a visiting professor at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is conside ...

. In May 2022, he was conferred the honorary Doctor of Law (LLD) degree for his contribution to the field of music by

Mumbai University The University of Mumbai is a collegiate, state-owned, public research university in Mumbai. The University of Mumbai is one of the largest universities in the world. , the university had 711 affiliated colleges. Ratan Tata is the appointed h ...

Discography

* ''Evening Ragas'' (1970)

Vasant Rai Vasant Rai (1942–1985) was one of the world's most acclaimed masters of Indian music and played the Indo-Afghan instrument the sarod. Personal life and education Rai's family was from a small town in India called Unjha and he was born in Paris ...

* ''Shanti'' (1971) * '' Rolling Thunder'' (1972) – Mickey Hart * ''

Shakti In Hinduism, especially Shaktism (a theological tradition of Hinduism), Shakti (Devanagari: शक्ति, IAST: Śakti; lit. "Energy, ability, strength, effort, power, capability") is the primordial cosmic energy, female in aspect, and r ...

'' (1975) –

with John McLaughlin * '' Karuna Supreme'' (MPS, 1976) - John Handy with Ali Akbar Khan * '' Hard Work'' - John Handy (ABC/Impulse, 1976) * '' A Handful of Beauty'' (1976) –

with John McLaughlin * ''

Diga Diga is one of the woredas in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. It is part of the Misraq Welega Zone and it is part of former Diga Leka woreda. Demographics The 2007 national census reported a total population for this woreda of 66,689, of whom ...

'' (1976) – Diga Rhythm Band * '' Natural Elements'' (1977) –

with John McLaughlin * ''Morning Ragas'' (1979) with

* '' Who's to Know'' (1980) – L. Shankar * '' Song for Everyone'' (1985) – L. Shankar * '' Making Music'' (1987) with Jan Garbarek, John McLaughlin and Hariprasad Chaurasia * ''Tabla Duet'' (1988) – Zakir Hussain & Alla Rakha * ''Venu'' (1989) – Hariprasad Chaurasia & Zakir Hussain * ''

At the Edge ''At the Edge'' is a percussion-based world music album by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. It was released on CD and cassette by Rykodisc Records on September 18, 1990. It was Hart's first album with the multi-national percussion ensemble ...

'' (1990) – Mickey Hart * ''Maestro's Choice Series One'' (1991) – Alla Rakha * '' Planet Drum'' (1991) – Mickey Hart * ''When Words Disappear'' (1991) – David Trasoff & Zakir Hussain * ''Flights of Improvisation'' (1992) * ''Sangeet Sartaj'' (1992) * ''The One and Only'' (1992) * ''Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience (1992) * ''Music of the Deserts'' (1993) * ''Rag Madhuvanti / Rag Misra Tilang'' (1993) – Shivkumar Sharma * ''Concert for Peace'' (1993) – Ravi Shankar * ''Jog And Rageshri'' (1994) * ''Ustad Amjad Ali Khan & Zakir Hussain'' (1994) – Amjad Ali Khan & Zakir Hussain * ''Golden Krithis Colours'' – (1994) – Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan * '' Raga Aberi'' (1995) – Shankar * ''Maestro's Choice – Series Two'' (1995) – Sultan Khan & Zakir Hussain * ''World Network Series, Vol. 1: India- Raga Purya Kalyan'' (1995) – Zakir Hussain & 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 (Moment Records) * '' Supralingua'' (1998) – Mickey Hart * '' Fire Dance'' (1998) collaboration with

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

* ''

Save Our Children Save Our Children, Inc. was an American political coalition formed in 1977 in Miami, Florida, to overturn a recently legislated county ordinance that banned discrimination in areas of housing, employment, and public accommodation based on sexua ...

'' (1998) -

Pharoah Sanders Pharoah Sanders (born Ferrell Lee Sanders; October 13, 1940 – September 24, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. Known for his overblowing, harmonic, and multiphonic techniques on the saxophone, as well as his use of " sheets of sound", ...

* ''Remember Shakti'' (1999) –

Remember Shakti Remember Shakti is a quintet which combines elements of traditional Indian music with elements of jazz. The band consists of English guitarist John McLaughlin, and Zakir Hussain (tabla), U. Srinivas (deceased) (mandolin), Shankar Mahadevan (voc ...

* '' Spirit into Sound'' (1999) – Mickey Hart * ''The Believer'' (2000) –

* ''Tala Matrix'' (2000) – Tabla Beat Science * ''Golden Strings of the Sarode'' (2001) – Aashish Khan & Zakir Hussain * ''Saturday Night in Bombay'' (2001) –

(Universal Records) * '' Selects'' (2002) * ''Summit'' (2002) – George Brooks (Earth Brothers Music BMI) * '' 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)- Zakir Hussain * ''Energy'' (2003) * ''Live at Miles Davis Hall'' (8 July 2004) – Remember Shakti * ''Live at 38th Montreux Jazz Festival'' (18 July 2004) – Remember Shakti * ''Punjabi Dhamar'' (2004) * ''Raag Chandrakauns'' (2004) * ''Sangam'' (2006) –

Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

collaboration with bandleader Charles Lloyd. * ''Soukha'' (2006) – V. Selvaganesh (with John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Vikku, Shrinivas) – Naive * '' Global Drum Project'' (2007) – Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Imran Hussain, Chandan Sharma Sikiru Adepoju,

– Shout Factory * '' The Melody of Rhythm'' (2009) –

Bela Fleck Bela may refer to: Places Asia *Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India *Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India *Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara * Bela, Dang, in Nepal * Bela, Janakpur, ...

, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer * ''Venu'' (2011) Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain * ''

Mysterium Tremendum ''Mysterium Tremendum'' is an album by the Mickey Hart Band, a musical group led by former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart. It was released by 360° Productions on April 10, 2012. ''Mysterium Tremendum'' was created by having the Mickey Hart B ...

'' (2012) – Mickey Hart Band * ''Good Hope'' (2019) – Dave Holland, Zakir Hussain, Chris Potter * ''Is That So?'' (2020) – John McLaughlin,

Shankar Mahadevan Shankar Mahadevan (born 3 March 1967) is an Indian singer and composer who is part of the Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy trio that writes music for Indian films. Personal life and early career Shankar Mahadevan was born in Chembur, Mumbai into a Tam ...

, Zakir Hussain * '' In the Groove'' (2022) – Planet Drum

Filmography

* '' Heat and Dust'' (1983) Merchant Ivory Film * '' The Perfect Murder'' (1988) Merchant Ivory Film * ''Thanduvitaen Ennai'' (1991 Tamil movie, cameo role) * ''

Miss Beatty's Children ''Miss Beatty's Children'' is a 1992 English-language Indian drama film directed by Pamela Rooks in a directorial debut, with Jenny Seagrove, Faith Brook and Protima Bedi in lead roles. The film set in 1936 in South India, was based on Pamela ...

'' (1992) * '' Saaz'' (1998) * ''Zakir and His Friends'' (1998) * ''The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum'' (2003) Sumantra Ghosal * ''Talamanam Sound Clash – Further Adventures in Hype'' (2003 – DVD) – Tabla Beat Science * ''The Way of Beauty'' (2006 – DVD) – Remember Shakti * ''

The Rhythm Devils Concert Experience ''The Rhythm Devils Concert Experience'' is a 2008 two-disc DVD concert and documentary of the Rhythm Devils 2006 tour, featuring members of the Grateful Dead, Phish, The Other Ones, and Deep Banana Blackout. The name "Rhythm Devils" was originall ...

'' (2008 – DVD) – The Rhythm Devils * ''

Manto may refer to: People * Mando (singer) Adamantia Stamatopoulou ( el, Αδαμαντία Σταματοπούλου; born 13 April 1966), known as Mando ( el, links=no, Μαντώ), is a Greek singer. She was born and raised in Athens by her ...

(2018) *

Soundtracks

* '' In Custody'' (1993) * '' Little Buddha'' (1993) * '' Saaz'' (1998) * ''

'' (1999) * ''

'' (2001) * '' Mr. and Mrs. Iyer'' (2002) * ''One Dollar Curry'' (2003)

Awards and honours

* Hussain was awarded the titles of

in 1988, and Padma Bhushan in 2002. * Awarded the ''Indo-American Award'' in 1990 in recognition for his outstanding cultural contribution to relations between the United States and India. * Presented with the ''

'' in 1990 by

the President of India The president of India (IAST: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Indian Armed Forces. Droupadi Murmu ...

, making him one of the youngest musicians to receive this recognition given by the Sangeet Natak Academy, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. * In 1992 '' Planet Drum'', an album co-created and produced by Hussain and

, was awarded the first-ever Grammy for ''Best World Music Album'', the Downbeat Critics’ Poll for ''Best World Beat Album'' and the NARM ''Indie Best Seller Award'' for a World Music Recording. * Recipient of a 1999 ''

'' from the

, the United States government's honour for a master in the traditional arts, presented by

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non- monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a woman seen to be at the ...

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...

at the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and po ...

on 28 September 1999. * In 2005, he was named an ''Old Dominion Fellow'' by the Humanities Council at

, 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. * Recipient of the '' Kalidas Samman'' in 2006, an award for artists of exceptional achievement, from the

Government of Madhya Pradesh Government of Madhya Pradesh also known as the State Government of Madhya Pradesh, or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 52 districts. It consists of an executiv ...

. * ''Golden Strings of the Sarode'' (Moment! Records 2006) with

Aashish Khan Aashish Khan Debsharma (born 5 December 1939) is an Indian classical musician, a player of the sarod. He was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006 in the 'Best World Music' category for his album "Golden Strings of the Sarode". He is also a recip ...

and Hussain was nominated for a

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

in the ''Best Traditional World Music Album'' category in 2006. * In 2007, readers' polls from both ''Modern Drummer'' and ''Drum!'' magazines named Hussain ''Best World Music'' and ''Best World Beat Drummer'' respectively. * On 8 February 2009 for 51st Grammy Awards, Hussain won the Grammy in the Contemporary World Music Album category for his collaborative album "Global Drum Project" along with Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju &

. * On 23 February 2012 for ''Guru Gangadhar Pradhan Lifetime Achievement Award'' at Konark Dance & Music Festival, Organised by Konark Natya Mandap *Summer of 2016, he was nominated for President's Medal of the Arts, however, new rule stated non-Americans could not receive the medal. *On 18 January 2017, San Francisco Jazz Center gave Hussain a Lifetime Achievement Award *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. *In 2022, he was conferred the honorary Doctor of Law (LLD) degree for his exceptional contribution in the field of music by

. *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).

Tribute

The line "''Zakir Hussain Tabela Ivaltana''" in the Tamil song "Telephone Manipol" in ''

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

'' (1996) film directed by S.Shankar is a tribute to him. This song was written by poet Vairamuthu.

References

External links

His website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hussain, Zakir 1951 births Living people Indian drummers Indian Muslims Indian percussionists Musicians from Mumbai Tabla players Tabla gharanas Instrumental gharanas Hindustani instrumentalists Jazz fusion musicians World music musicians Indian male film actors Indian male classical musicians St. Xavier's College, Mumbai alumni Indian film score composers Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award National Heritage Fellowship winners Hindustani composers University of Washington alumni Indian male film score composers Male jazz musicians Shakti (band) members Remember Shakti members Edition Records artists Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship