Zakir Hussain has made each and every Indian feel proud by winning three Grammy Awards in a single night at the start of this year, 2024. Two legends from the Indian music industry, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan, through their band “Shakti”, brought this triumphant moment in our life by winning a Grammy Award for Best Music Album for “This Moment”. Only those people who are obsessed with their work are capable of such a great honor and this Indian Tabla player, Zakir Hussain, has proved his obsession with his work. In an old exclusive interview with Lehren Retro, Ustad Zakir Hussain narrated his love for Tabla, saying, “I Eat, Sleep, Drink whatever, it is Tabla.”
Zakir Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan along with John McLaughlin are part of an Indo-Jazz fusion band named Shakti. Zakir Hussain called this band ‘a moment to India’. As per Zakir Hussain, this connection of Indo –Jazz music gives strength, energy, relief and playing it is equal to eating some kind of vitamins. Talking about his beloved instrument, Tabla, he said, “I am in love with Tabla. It is like my twin.” He gains the utmost joy whenever he plays that instrument. Ahead he continued, “I enjoy myself. I really have a great time, because I feel that Mujhe Jahan hona chahiye mein wahan hoon. (I am at a place where I have to be).”
He never decided that he wanted to be a classical Tabla player. He has used Tabla in the most versatile way. It is an Indian classical instrument, but he has used it in all kinds of music, including folk, jazz, world music, film music etc.
This 72-year-old Tabla maestro received ‘Best Global Music Performance’ for “Pashto”, ‘Best Contemporary Instrumental Album’ for “As We Speak”. And ‘Best Music Album’ for “This Moment”, which includes 8 songs composed by John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, V Selvaganesh, and Ganesh Rajagopalan.
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