TRULY BLESSED
World renowned Indian percussionist, tabla player and two times Grammy Award winner ZAKIR HUSSAIN will be performing in CapeTown and Johannesburg tomorrow and on Sunday. He chats about his music. is what I think will be the content of the music in the show.
You have recently been awarded a lifetime achievement award at the upcoming San Francisco Jazz Festival, tell us of your thoughts on the interest from the jazz community in Indian classical music?
Indian music and jazz appear to be cousins, both styles give importance to improvising and, therefore, they are easily compatible: this is one of the reason why jazz greats are attracted to Indian music.
I have been lucky to have been working with genius musicians like John McLaughlin, Charles Lloyd, John Handy, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland and drummers like Mickey Hart, Eric Harland, Steve Smith, Antonio Sanchez, Simon Phillips, Armando Peraza, Giovanni Hidalgo, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji and many more. San Francisco Jazz centre has over the past 30 years presented many of these collaborations and recognises me as one of the premier resident artists of that area. And so, it has decided to give me a lifetime-achievement award.
What are your recording plans for the near future and what can we expect from these albums?
I am hoping to record my recently premiered piece called Peshkar. This is a concerto for tabla and full symphony orchestra. I am also going on tour next fall with a group called Croos Currents. This features Dave Holland (bass) Chris Potter (saxophone) Louiz Banks (Piano) Shankar Mahadevan (voice) Sanjay Divesha (guitar) and Gino Banks on drums.
Tell us about your early relationship with your father and learning tabla?
Whatever I have learnt about tabla, rhythm and Indian classical music has all been the blessing of my father. At first, when I was a baby, his role was that of a father, then he became my teacher, then I was an apprentice to him, then we became colleagues and finally we were friends.
I think it is rare that a son gets to have such a varied relationship with his father. I consider myself very blessed to have had him in my life.
What are your thoughts of the concept “World Music”?
World Music is a term that was invented by the record companies to be able to advertise their products. Musicians from all over the world play music with each other but they never try to put a name to what they are playing. To them, it is all JUST MUSIC!
See www.youtube.com/ watch?v=wWJRwz7oBb4&list=RDUOFf-4T9YPA&index=2, www. youtube.com/watch?v=0qSKUBvqlKE