Ustad Zakir Hussain: 'I’m looking forward to hearing Waah, Kya Baat Hai from the audience'

Ustad Zakir Hussain.

What sets Ustad Zakir Hussain apart as an artiste is his sheer enthusiasm as he talks about his craft.  Even after almost six decades of performing on stage, he lights up talking about going up on stage. He was a teenager when he first performed in Thane, and he has a lot of memories attached to this city of lakes. “I remember fondly what a beautiful, green place it was, it was semi-dark that evening, because there were not many streetlights and it was a very calm and collected atmosphere. But now it is a city bubbling with excitement. It has grown in leaps and bounds and it has become a metropolis. I am really looking forward to going there.”

Organised by A Field Productions, the musical evening will be held this Sunday, December 11 at an open ground in the heart of Thane. Hussain will be playing a curated set of compositions by his father, the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha. His performance will showcase the original style of Teen Taal unique to the Punjab gharana he belongs to, with notable reflections of various other gharanas such as Benaras, Agra and Ajrada.

Ace sarangi player Sabir Khan, from the Sikar gharana of Rajasthan will accompany the virtuoso. Khan is a ninth generation sarangi player who has collaborated with noted musicians such as Salim and Suleiman Merchant, Karsh Kale, Anindo Chaterjee and many more. He has played the sarangi in several Bollywood films, such as Dor (2006), Chak De! India (2007), Saawariya (2007), Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Yaariyan (2014), Badlapur (2015) and Dangal (2016).

“I will be playing with young Sabir, who is the son of one of the greatest legendary musicians of our time Ustad Sultan Khan. I am truly, really happy that this young man has sprouted as one of the finest artists of India and probably one of the two or three really great sarangi players in our country. I will play solo and he will interact with me and will support me whenever I need and we will bounce back and forth. I am really looking forward to this concert.”

Hussain spoke about being back on stage, classical music, Bollywood, his forthcoming work and more. Edited excerpts:

While you have performed across the globe, this is your first post-pandemic solo, in Thane. Tell us all about it.
It’s been three years since I performed in India and it was only fitting to perform in Thane — which was the location for my first solo performance as a teenager. The audience in Thane is very informed and appreciative of traditional art forms and I have fond memories of my performance in Thane.

Being back on stage here after long, how have things changed for you since the pandemic?

While the pandemic was a learning experience for all of us...it brought together a community of artistes globally as we would all connect virtually whether to jam or troubleshoot issues faced by another artist or simply help a brother out.

Through the pandemic I missed performing live before an audience, missed the vibrant atmosphere of a live show. As a performing artiste it's rewarding to watch the audience's response. I’m looking forward to hearing 'Waah, kya baat hai' from the audience. It just invigorates my energy to perform.

Classical music used to have a niche audience but now with so many music platforms and ways for music to reach everyone, have things changed?

Indian classical music is still a niche form, it requires a certain amount of intimacy with the listener and thrives in a chamber concert atmosphere. Keeping that in mind, it is wrong to expect this music to have the same visibility as Bollywood, rock or pop music, it is true that the number of listeners (hits) on the digital platform has considerably increased but it has rarely reached the shelf level of commercial music. I believe that the kind of audience Indian music is developing on the digital platforms is a discerning audience and has the potential of sticking with this art for a long period of time. The future looks good but thankfully not colossal.

You have worked in Hollywood and Bollywood both. These days there is a lot of good content in the OTT and Hindi film industry, would you want to be a part of it?

I have been fortunate to be a part of the Hindi film industry through music production and acting.  While there is nothing in the works as of now if an opportunity arises, I will think about it.

Over the years, you have had hundreds of tabla performances. Any memory or anecdote that stands out?
As a teenager performing live in front of an audience in the presence of distinguished dignitaries in Thane was a thrilling experience. The joy of performing individually in front of an informed audience and their acceptance gave me an elated feeling.

You have won multiple awards and the latest ones include the 2022 Kyoto Prize laureate in arts and philosophy, awarded by the Inamori Foundation, and the D’Litt by the Mumbai University for your contribution to the world of music globally in May 2022. How much do awards mean to you?
It’s extremely humbling for me as an artiste to receive these awards and recognitions from prestigious organisations. It helps me in staying relevant to my audience and lets me know that I’m on the right path on my way to perfecting my music.

What are you looking forward to the most in the new year?

I have a few good acts lined up in 2023 on a positive note. There will be unique celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Shakti and so on.