From Ardha Katha, a celebration of 50 years of India’s independence, to Aadi Anant, a celebration of the guru-shishya tradition, Dr. Suvarnalata Rao, Head, Indian Music at the NCPA, worked closely with Ustad Zakir Hussain to present unique musical experiences. She shares her reminiscences of the man and the icon whose legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched.

As told to Snigdha Hasan

How does one summarise the artistry and persona of a maestro who was like the sky? Whether he was an extension of the instrument, or the tabla was his, is hard to say, but between them, the jugalbandi was one of transcendence. This is perhaps why what Ustad Zakir Hussain means to the universe of music— fellow artistes, students, organisers, connoisseurs, new listeners and those yet to discover him—is still unveiling itself. The outpouring of grief is not for a legend, hallowed and distant, but for someone who felt like he was one of our own. Zakir Bhai would not have liked to be remembered in any other way.

A versatile maestro

A very young Zakir had his initiation into music through sina-basina, the practice of one-on-one training, with his father Ustad Allarakha. The learning and the mastery of technique to the point where it becomes second nature is a path maestros walk on early in their journey. This ease of performance is what communicates the music to the audience; be it the improvised elements of a peshkar or complex structure of a kayda, music reaches the listener with a degree of deceptive effortlessness. To this technical prowess, Hussain added the flavours and the magic of his accompaniment (sohbat) to the music of renowned masters like Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan.

In Indian music, there is a lot that transpires onstage and all that one has learnt from the guru and perfected during riyaz (practice sessions) is put to the test. Improvisation lies at the heart of it and the element of surprise is the reason why an Indian musician is said to be a composer in his own right. Hussain, still in his twenties, had the privilege of travelling extensively with the stalwarts of Hindustani and Carnatic music, sharing the stage with them and learning to respond to the rhythmic and melodic questions they asked of him. Through this sawal-jawab, Hussain honed the art of providing accompaniment— whether to a vocalist or instrumentalist—with all its mathematical as well as aesthetical intricacies.

What the maestro did to bring the tabla to the foreground has been well-documented. But in this transition from an accompanist to a soloist, he cast aside hierarchy and played both roles interchangeably. At Ardha Katha, a landmark celebration of 50 years of India’s independence at the NCPA, he accompanied Ravi Shankar in a midnight concert. At Aadi Anant, the NCPA’s festival of Indian music which he opened every year since 2012, he would be as comfortable providing sangat (rhythmic support) to the sitar or bansuri as playing a tabla solo to the lehra (a fixed melodic cycle) given by the sarangi. He had no qualms about donning either of the roles. We, at the NCPA, took pride in and looked forward to presenting his specially curated concerts which featured both young and seasoned musicians across diverse traditions of the world.

Hussain sought to widen his horizons early on. His very first performance at the NCPA was with his father Ustad Allarakha, sitar legend Ravi Shankar and the mridangam exponent Palghat Raghu. The sound of the tabla, he would say, is the beat of life and something so fundamental that it can speak any language of music. From Carnatic, Hindustani, abhang and thumri to Western classical, jazz and world music and even dance, there was no genre he could not relate to. As he toured the world, the world of the tabla grew alongside him.

From an instinctive composer to writing works within the formal structure of Western classical music, Hussain’s versatility shone through in his concertos which he performed with the Symphony Orchestra of India on numerous occasions. A year ago, he was on a tour of the UK with the SOI, presenting his composition, a triple concerto, commissioned by the NCPA. The work, in essence, was an ode to the spirit of humanity. Two friends of two different faiths—represented by the sitar and bansuri— struggle to find acceptance among the people of their village. A village elder—the tabla—intervenes and helps them see beyond manmade differences. It ends, as it ideally should, in harmony.

An extraordinary human being

Hussain remained grateful for the kindness and generosity he received as a young musician and paid it forward manifold. We know that a career in the performing arts is not easy. Only a few make it to the top, while many others, waiting endlessly in the wings, struggle with self-doubt. It is a disservice to music if deserving artistes are not brought to the fore, Hussain believed, and used the platform he received to give a fillip to the careers of numerous artistes over the decades. This celebration of the guru shishya tradition at our annual festival treated listeners to his wizardry on the tabla but also introduced them to artistes they sought to hear later, for they bore the stamp of the maestro’s approval.

Sharing the stage with a legend can be intimidating. But here was a gentle soul who made it a point to go out of his way to put at ease with his friendly demeanour not only fellow artistes and organisers, but also the technical crew and support teams. He remembered the name of each one of them and he addressed them with respect. Onstage and off it, the atmosphere would be convivial leaving no room for any hindrance, perceived or real, to the creation of good music, which is always a team effort.

Classical music needs an ecosystem to thrive. While we need patrons to support concerts, we also need audiences to support musicians. Gifted with a charming smile and charisma, Hussain used it positively to strengthen this ecosystem. He, however, drew the line at private events. Never did he take his art to weddings and other lucrative gatherings. Music, for him, was an art to be respected and perpetuated, and not to be treated as a commodity for entertainment.

This firmness, generosity of spirit and humility can come only when one is sure of oneself. When one doesn’t feel threatened by others, there is no room for games or tantrums. Only the beauty of the soul, which Zakir Bhai embodied to the brim.

It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Ustad Zakir Hussain. What he meant to the NCPA cannot be adequately expressed in words. His loss will be sorely felt, but his legacy will live on through the countless lives he touched, both through his music and his remarkable character.

In Memoriam

In the tragic passing of Padma Vibhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain, we have lost a universal musician and a fine human being. Not only did the renowned tabla maestro’s musicianship in the Hindustani classical tradition reign supreme, he was also a composer and collaborator par excellence, spanning the genres of Western classical, jazz and world music. Whether through Shakti, the celebrated band, or his recitals, where he made the tabla sing, his language of music spoke to the world.

His bond with the NCPA goes back to the day it was founded in 1969 when he accompanied his father, the great Ustad Allarakha, on our stage. In the following decades, as his career blossomed into international fame, our audiences continued to have the honour of watching him perform at the NCPA. In July 2015, he became an honoured member of our Council and his deliberations were always insightful. He was a mentor and an inspiration to future musicians and upheld the true spirit of the guru-shishya tradition by sharing the stage with talented young artistes year after year at the Aadi Anant Festival of Indian Music. He wrote inspiring compositions with a profound message of peace, harmony and universal brotherhood for the Symphony Orchestra of India with which he toured the UK.

Those concerts, his mentorship, his warm presence and the sound of his tabla will forever remain a treasure of the NCPA.

His absence will be severely felt by the Council and the entire staff of the NCPA and the musical world that he adorned so gracefully and with such modesty and charm. We mourn his loss and send our deep condolences to the members of his family.

– Khushroo N. Suntook, Chairman, NCPA

“We have lost one of our greatest musicians. I had the pleasure to make music with Zakir Hussain and will miss him tremendously.”

– Zubin Mehta, conductor

“I was very fortunate and honoured to know and to collaborate with the great Zakir Hussain. His beautiful performances with our Symphony Orchestra of India, in Mumbai, Switzerland, the UK and UAE as well as other concerts will be forever in my memory and the memory of all who were fortunate to hear his wonderful play. His beautiful soul and genius musicianship will be greatly missed.”

– Marat Bisengaliev, violin virtuoso and Music Director, SOI 

“He was an extraordinary musician, belonging with ease in every style and genre. His innate sense of skill, duty and generosity transported those who performed with him so that they too could experience the lofty heights. Above all, he was a great musician because he was a great human being. I shall miss him!”

 – Zane Dalal, conductor

“The SOI’s first collaboration with Zakir Hussain was in 2013 and there was no looking back ever since. It began with the performance of the triple concerto, Melody of Rhythm composed and performed by Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck at the NCPA and at the Royal Opera House in Muscat. The SOI commissioned Zakir ji to write two concertos whose world premieres the audiences at the NCPA had the privilege of enjoying. Conducted by Zane Dalal, Peshkar was the first of the two concertos and was premiered in 2015 and then performed on tour in Switzerland in 2016 receiving standing ovations. On popular demand, Peshkar was performed again at the NCPA in 2019 and this time went on tour to the UK where I, as a cellist, had the honour and privilege of performing the concerto as part of the orchestra. Some sections were definitely challenging for the musicians but it was such a great experience to play in so many different rhythms—something the tabla genius did so effortlessly. In 2023, the Triple Concerto for tabla, bansuri, sitar and orchestra was premiered at the NCPA, with Niladri Kumar and Rakesh Chaurasia as the other soloists. A couple of months later, the concerto was performed on tour in the UK and received great appreciation. Composing cross-genre music is an art, and Zakir ji had the gift and passion for it. All his collaborations with the SOI have been a huge success and the orchestra’s musicians loved working with this fine human being and exceptional artiste. He will always be fondly remembered in all our hearts.”

– Bianca Mendonca, General Manager, SOI

This article was originally published in the January 2025 issue of ON Stage.