Counting down the days
They finally arrived in the mail last week. After much anticipation and excitement, my tickets to the Zakir Hussain concert made their appearance and are now safely nestled in my desk drawer. Woohoo! Scheduled to play on May 9, 2008 at the Roy Thompson Hall, the Masters of Percussion promise to take the audience on an exhilarating ride in the world of rhythm. And then you have Zakir Hussain headlining the event. What more can one ask for!
Every month I promise myself that I'll save some money and will not splurge on music - concerts, CDs or any other events. But I fail. And funnily enough, my guilt lasts for a few seconds, if at all! Buying the Zakir Hussain concert tickets didn't even cross my mind as an indulgence. His concerts are electrifying, his witty repartee often has his crowd laughing all the way through. And despite all that, the music reigns supreme. His improvisations are simply outstanding and his interaction with fellow musicians onstage is magnetic. Having attended a benefit concert a while back, I have to admit that his energy levels on stage are remarkable!
My earliest image of Zakir Hussain was thanks to my father who is a great fan of Ustad Allahrakha Khan. I only learnt about Zakir Hussain because my father proudly stated that the son of a legend would also be a star in his own right. And turns out, Zakir Hussain has created a niche for himself in world music. He has been often credited for being India's first representative at the world music stage. Some even consider him to be the father of the world music scene altogether. His collaboration on Shakti is something that every world music fan should listen to at some time in their life. I know I have, several times over!
Currently Zakir Hussain tours the world playing at world-renowed concert halls, with illustrious musicians. When not at the concert hall, he trades his tabla for a teacher's pen as he gives lectures at universities in the US. Luckily enough for us, he will be playing live on May 9 and this concert should be interesting as I'm told it involves drummers from Manipur, a northern state of India. For all those interested in a crash course in raga and tala, LISTEN UP! to the Masters of Percussion.
Photo: Susana Millma
Looking forward to this one. I will be there too!
Posted by: Vijay Sappani | March 30, 2008 at 11:07 PM
This sounds amazing - I wonder if there are still tickets available? If so, perhaps I'll see you there! :)
Posted by: dr.shamira | April 03, 2008 at 10:32 AM