First Person
Ustad Alla Rakha, India’s leading virtuoso of the tabla and one of the world’s greatest and most influential percussionists, Alla Rakha had already established his reputation in India as one of the century’s great masters . He was personally responsible for elevating the tabla from its secondary position as an accompanying instrument to that of a virtuosi solo instrument of vast power and complexity.
Composing and performing in the semi-pop style typical of Hindi films. Returning to classical music, he soon became recognized as a world-class
some invisible rain-god moving his thunderous fingers on the hard surface. This is ’’Rela’’, a technical term in Tabla-speak for continuous rhythm cycles played in increasing repetitions over a fixed interval. The clap of fingers had the signature of ’’Tabla-Nawaaz’’, the Master of Tabla, Ustad Zakir Hussain .
Zakir Hussa
Zakir Hussain is today appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world at large as an international phenomenon. A classical tabla virtuoso of the highest order, his consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure in his own country, India, but gained him worldwide fame. The favorite accompanist for many of India’s greatest classical musicians and dancers, from Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar to Birju Maharaj and Shivkumar Sharma, he has not let his genius rest there. His playing is marked by uncanny intuition and masterful improvisational dexterity, founded in formidable knowledge and study.
classical tabla player and percussionist, with an unrivalled ability to perform as soloist and accompanist in Indian popular music, classical music, East--West fusion, jazz and rock without compromising his integrity. He is the son of Alla Rakha, .
Zakir founded Moment! Records which features original collaborations in the field of contemporary world music, as well as live concert performances by great masters of the classical music of India. The label presents Zakir’s own world percussion ensemble, The Rhythm Experience, both North and South Indian classical recordings, Best of Shakti, and a Masters of Percussion series
Zakir quickly became the hottest musician on the Indian classical scene -- playing over 150 concerts a year -- but his greater impact may be in how he has expanded the whole concept of what the tabla can do. While his father’s generation concentrated on breaking Indian classical music overseas, Zakir has attempted to cross-breed India’s rhythms with, well, whoever can keep up with him.