Zakir Hussain will remain the voice of India for a long time to come. , Photo Credits: Illustration: R. Rajesh
Have you seen fireflies in the forest? On those nights when the heartbeats of thousands of lives create their own soundscape, and the glow of these amazing creatures creates a visual marvel – a phenomenon.
If you have ever met Zakir Hussain or been in his company, you probably have this image in your mind’s eye – a kind of wonderful view of a man beyond the ordinary. Imagine the residual glow of millions of flashbulbs disintegrating into pinpricks of light – the particles dancing, colliding and finally settling into a human form. This would only begin to describe the effect Zakir had on simply entering a room. I like to think that nature, in its way, has provided some amount of bioluminescence to a select few. Probably that group was led by Zakir.
During the autumn of 2006, I participated in a solo piano recital at Carnegie Hall in New York. The artist was not particularly famous, but the program included Bach. the art of fugue, And as a student, it seemed too good to give up. The performance was not memorable, and there were passages that the soloist struggled with. I remember some attendees even left during the break.
In those beautiful days before smartphones, we had no option but to get distracted by looking at other attendees or the decor. Far ahead, a familiar man wearing a mustard yellow sweater was sitting. He was sitting straight, alert and attentive. This was Zakir Hussain. At the end of the program he went up and shook hands with the artist warmly and said something that made her smile. I followed Zakir from a distance, shy of meeting him directly but wanting to know what he thought. A passerby stopped him and said something disapproving of the demonstration. Zakir smiled. His answer has stuck with me ever since. “It was honest.” Measured, and no trace of irony.
Zakir Hussain at a concert in Mumbai in January 2017. , Photo courtesy: PTI
art of listening
His qualities kept coming to the fore as lessons again and again. I remember being introduced to him backstage at the Music Academy in Chennai for the annual tribute to Mandolin U Srinivas, another bioluminescent human who left us suddenly in 2014. Zakir was surrounded by several luminaries, and in the middle of a conversation about another performance, he noticed the introduction and then looked at me to ask, “And how did the piano choose you?” Again, a turn of phrase so unexpected and yet profound.
I am not qualified to describe his artistry. I can only write about the experience that happened each time. When the tabla became his, and he became his. It was a hypnotic effect to see those fingers speaking sweetly, and yet the human force powering it would be smiling straight at you, interacting with the other musicians on stage with those twinkling eyes. If you listen to the tabla deeply you will receive every kind of communication. Humor, in a passage that is full of heavy meaning; Surprise and exclamation at the end of a special engagement Swara exchange; A soft caress when you are expecting fireworks or vice versa. Like the seagulls in Richard Bach’s best-selling novel, it was a language he spoke from a place beyond mere technique or concert-playing.
Like many music lovers around the world, I have heard them in many settings. From Power Immortal concert recordings and concerts with all our favorite legends across generations including Pt. Ravi Shankar and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia. India’s soundtracks on global platforms rarely ignore Zakir, and he will remain the voice of India for a long time to come. Fortunately, we live in an age where technology has archived most of their functions. What we won’t have are the lessons someone learns just by being around them. For example, treating the platform as a sacred space in which there is no room for offensive language. This was his only method of treatment towards every place.
powerful music alliance
(L-R) Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain and Rakesh Chaurasia at the 66th GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles on February 4, 2024. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Listen to his albums with Bela Fleck on banjo or even the Global Drum Project where he teams up with rock band Grateful Dead’s drummer Mickey Hart and others. Listen to all the Power recordings with the old crew and John McLaughlin. Tabla is being defined in these, which has a melodious sound of its own. Measured, no sense of sarcasm at all.
The exhaustive list of his achievements – performances, awards, film scores, dynamic collaborations, appearances, honors – is not worth repeating as he is too famous to be repeated in any one article. A big win this year? His historic three Grammy Awards in February.
He was our rockstar. OG. The smile that lingered in the room, the charisma that enthralled everyone from the people present in the auditorium to the distinguished guests sitting in the premium seats. That special quality of making you feel like the conversation was just about you and him, and that you matter.
Bioluminescent, like fireflies that merge into stars at twilight, glowing with eternal light.
The author is a pianist and teacher based in Chennai.
published – December 19, 2024 02:55 PM IST
