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‘Affable maestro’: Lucknow musicians pay tribute to Zakir Hussain
Ustad Zakir Hussain had performed at several shows in Lucknow and was remembered by artistes here as a person who respected everybody around him.
The state capital’s music fraternity paid rich tributes to tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain who passed away in San Francisco early Monday. He was 73.
He was suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, his family said in a statement.
The music legend had performed at several shows in Lucknow and was remembered by artistes here as a person with a jolly nature who respected everybody around him. Hailing from the Punjab Gharana, he was the son of tabla exponent Ustad Allah Rakha and regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation.
A globally recognised musician, Hussain was pivotal in moving the tabla from an accompanying instrument to centerstage.
Noted folk singer Malini Awasthi posted on Facebook that it was an unexpected departure.
Hussain’s “guru bhai” and tabla artiste Sheikh Ibrahim confirmed the news and said that he was not keeping well for a while.
“He was one of the first people I met when I went to learn from Ustad Allah Rakha. I remember he smiled and motivated me by saying ‘Jo humne seekha hai vahi seekhna hai aur aage mehnat karni hai’ (You have to learn what we have learnt and work hard),” said Ibrahim.
The head of the Lucknow gharana of tabla Ilmas Khan remembered him as a humble person who was good to all.
“He was a kindhearted and affable person. His passing away has left a void in the fraternity,” said Khan.
Former director of UP Sangeet Natak Akademi Tarun Raj recalled that after a music concert several years back, Ustad Zakir Hussain was surrounded by young women, some of whom even ended up kissing him.
“He always treated his peers with equal respect. He was a very fun-loving person who had set a benchmark for the future generations,” Raj said.
At the forefront of innovation and experimentation in fusing different sounds from different worlds, Hussain collaborated with several renowned international and Indian artistes. He was also a composer and dabbled in acting.
