‘AAH, USTAD!!’ Nagpurians recollect fond memories of Zakir Hussain

 

 

 

THE Full Moon in the sky progressed from Sunday night to the small hours of Monday. However, as the twilight approached, it clad the music world with gloom with the news of the passing away of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. Nagpurians shared the shock and grief of the global family of admirers of the five-time Grammy Award winner. And, all mourned the master of rhythm slipping into eternal silence.

 

Nagpurians’ fondest common memory of the ‘Padma Vibhushan’ recipient could be summarised in the involuntary response ‘Waah, Ustad!’ whenever he performed in the city. Vilas Manekar, Secretary of Saptak, recalled Ustad Zakir Hussain’s mesmerising performance during the Pt C R Vyas Memorial concert on February 17, 2005. In the report of the concert, ‘The Hitavada’ had published, “His fingers were a blur -- now gentle, now demanding -- making the tabla sing in ecstasy.” During that performance, the tabla magician had said that every performance was an examination in which sometimes an artist excelled and sometimes failed to meet the expectations. Zakir Hussain had visited Nagpur on occasions prior to 2005, and later too. He had delivered a scintillating performance in a concert with renowned repercussionist Anandan Sivamani in 2013. He visited Nagpur again after a few years. In the early 90s, the maestro had regaled Nagpurians with his jugalbandis with many legendary performers. Dr Satish Sule, noted ophthalmologist, and his brother Sudhir Sule, organiser of the concert, narrated the high values Zakir Hussain practiced in his life with an interesting anecdote.

 

“He had come to our home for breakfast. On his arrival, the first thing he asked was about elders in the family. When I told him about my parents, Zakir Saab went straight to their room, touched their feet and had a hearty talk before joining us at the breakfast table,” Dr Sule recalled. More recently, earlier this year, celebrity chef Vishnu Manohar had met the Ustad of tabla in San Francisco. “I was sitting in a restaurant. Some Marathi-speaking people recognised me and started clicking photographs with me. Sitting in a corner, Ustad-ji watched this and enquired about me. Then, he rose from his seat, called me ‘Vishnuji’ and suddenly bowed before me. I was shocked. Such a legendary person bowing before me! He then said with a his charismatic gentle smile that he bowed before ‘Annapurna’ in me. I was surprised to know from me that his wife saw my videos of cookery show and cooked Maharashtrian food for him,” Vishnu Manohar recalled. During that interaction, the celebrity chef invited Zakir Hussain to Nagpur. Recently, the tabla maestro had sent a video message for Vishnu Manohar’s event of making a record number of Dosas.

 

During his multiple visits to Nagpur, he left behind the image of an artist engrossed in love with the instrument he played, whether on stage or off the stage. Nagpurians carry in their hearts the image of an ever-smiling artist with a fresh-as-dew face. Whenever that name and image come to one’s mind, one is bound to hear in one’s heart the rhythmic ‘taal’ of tabla. Alas! The rhythm has paused. In his passing, he has left Nagpurians moaning, “Aah, Ustad!!’ 

 

 

DEVENDRA Fadnavis, Maharashtra Chief Minister, and Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, condoled the demise of legendary tabla maestro ‘Padma Vibhushan’ Zakir Hussain on Monday. In a condolence message, Fadnavis stated that the passing away of legendary percussionist Zakir Hussain had created a void in the world of rhythm. “Tabla lost its rhythm! Extremely saddened to know about the passing away of the legendary tabla maestro ‘Padma Vibhushan’ Ustad Zakir Hussain Sahab. His music elevated Indian table to global reverence, becoming a symbol of its intricate rhythm. A true stalwart of creativity, his music bridged generations, touching countless hearts.

 

His legacy will forever resonate in every beat of tabla. He made tabla immortal. My condolences to his family, friends, millions of followers and fans. Om Shanti,” Fadnavis tweeted. The Chief Minister described Zakir Hussain as ‘Illustrious son of Maharashtra’, and said that the maestro inspired countless youths towards tabla playing. The void created by the demise of the ‘Taal Yogi’ cannot be filled since he preserved the musical inheritance he got from his father Ustad Allah Rakha. His demise marks the fall of one of the brightest stars in the sky of India music, Fadnavis added. In his tweet, Gadkari stated that the demise of Ustad Zakir Hussain was extremely saddening. Paying tributes to the departed maestro, the Union Minister added that Zakir Hussain’s contribution the world of art was unparalleled. “The world will remember him forever for his dedication towards music,” he added.