“It was one of those Dakota planes… the ones with two engines... that was my first flight ever and it was to Hyderabad,” says Ustad Zakir Hussain. Back in the ’60s, when he was a young and upcoming musician, he, along with his father Alla Rakha, were here for a performance.
“We were going to perform at Ravindra Bharathi, where yesteryear actress Kalpana was to perform Kathak,” recalls the Ustad. “After our performance, we found out that the organiser had run away with all the ticket money. We had to settle the hotel bills with whatever money we had. Luckily, our return tickets were booked,” he laughs.
Decades afterwards, thousands of flights and performances later, the Ustad will be back in the city for a concert hosted by Taj Mahal Tea. “After that show, in the late ’70s or early ’80s, I came to Hyderabad for a concert by Pandit Jasraj, who had called me to accompany him after a tabla player couldn’t make it,” says the Ustad. After that, there was no looking back for him.
Being a tabla player when music wasn’t really considered a “real profession”, scaling heights was not a cakewalk. “Back in the 60s, music wasn’t a big thing and musicians weren’t treated well. Sometimes they had to wait in the kitchen till all the guests left, and had to help with cleaning up,” he says. Now, at a time where musicians are treated as artistes, he feels that they have come a long way.
But, there is a downside to things as well. “Over the years, I’ve found that performances for the public have come down. These days shows aren’t getting sponsored by corporates as they have their own events and the public gets left out. This is why I never take up such events; I want everyone to enjoy music,” he says.
The artiste has worked with almost every top artiste and every instrument available. “Even after performing with them for years, it is only now that I understand their musicality. So even before we jump onto new things, I feel that we need to first master the instruments we already have,” he says in a serious tone.
But, within minutes, he is back to his usual lively self. “I can’t wait to be in Hyderabad. I’m definitely going to try the Bagara Baigan and the Pathar ke Kebabs,” he says.
But with a one-day schedule in the city, it’s next to impossible. “You don’t know what all I can do within a day,” he laughs.
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