Zakir Hussain (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zakir Hussain
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Zakir Allarakha Qureshi |
| Born | 9 March 1951 Bombay, Bombay State (now Mumbai, Maharashtra), India |
| Died | 16 December 2024 (aged 73) San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Hindustani classical music, jazz fusion, world music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Tabla |
| Years active | 1963–2024 |
| Labels | HMV |
| Honours |
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Zakir Hussain Allarakha Qureshi (born March 9, 1951 – died December 16, 2024) was an amazing Indian musician. He was a master of the tabla, a type of drum. He was also a composer, a percussionist (someone who plays drums), a music producer, and even an actor in films. Zakir Hussain was famous for sharing classical Indian music with people all over the world. He was the oldest son of another famous tabla player, Alla Rakha. Zakir Hussain won four Grammy Awards for his music.
He received the highest award for traditional artists and musicians in the United States, called the National Heritage Fellowship. The Indian government also honored him with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2018. Zakir Hussain was nominated for seven Grammy Awards and won four of them, including three in 2024!
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Zakir Allaraka Qureshi was born on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. His father was the legendary tabla master Alla Rakha.
Zakir went to St. Michael's High School in Mahim. Later, he graduated from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.
A Musical Journey
Zakir Hussain played on many famous albums. He worked with George Harrison on his 1973 album Living in the Material World. He also played with John Handy, Van Morrison, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
One of his most famous projects was Planet Drum. Mickey Hart from the band Grateful Dead invited Zakir to create this special album. It featured drummers from all over the world. The first Planet Drum album came out in 1991 and won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 1992. Later, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo teamed up again for the Global Drum Project. This album also won a Grammy Award in 2009 for Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album.
Zakir Hussain also created music for movies. He worked on the Indian film Vanaprastham, which was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. He also composed music for films like In Custody and The Mystic Masseur. You can hear his tabla playing in the soundtracks of big movies like Francis Coppola's Apocalypse Now and Bernardo Bertolucci's Little Buddha.
He even acted in some films, showing off his amazing musical skills. He was in the 1983 film Heat and Dust.
Zakir Hussain was a founding member of a group called Tabla Beat Science. This group mixed world music with electronic sounds. In 2016, President Obama invited Zakir Hussain to perform at the International Jazz Day concert at the White House.
A special person named Haridas Vhatkar made Zakir Hussain's tablas for over 18 years. Haridas learned how to make tablas just for Zakir! Zakir Hussain believed that music should be the main focus of an event. He didn't play at private parties where people might be socializing or eating.
About His Life
A writer named Nasreen Munni Kabir wrote a book about Zakir Hussain called Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music. She interviewed him many times to write the book, which shares his life story from his childhood and his intense musical training.
Family Life
Zakir Hussain was married to Antonia Minnecola, who is a Kathak dancer and teacher. She was also his manager. They had two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Anisa is a filmmaker, and Isabella studies dance.
Zakir Hussain had two brothers who are also musicians: Taufiq Qureshi (a percussionist) and Fazal Qureshi (a tabla player). He also had sisters.
He was a visiting professor at Princeton University and Stanford University. In 2022, Mumbai University gave him an honorary Doctor of Law degree for his amazing work in music.
Zakir Hussain passed away in San Francisco, California, on December 16, 2024, at the age of 73.
Famous Music Albums
Zakir Hussain played on many albums. Here are some of them:
- Shakti (1975) with Shakti and John McLaughlin
- Planet Drum (1991) with Mickey Hart
- Making Music (1987) with Jan Garbarek, John McLaughlin and Hariprasad Chaurasia
- Global Drum Project (2007) with Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo
- The Melody of Rhythm (2009) with Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer
- This Moment (2023) with Shakti
- As We Speak (2023) with Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia
Movies He Was In
Zakir Hussain appeared in these films:
- Heat and Dust (1983)
- The Perfect Murder (1988)
- Zakir and His Friends (1998)
- The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum (2003)
- Manto (2018)
- Monkey Man (2024)
Movie Soundtracks He Composed For
He composed music for these movie soundtracks:
- In Custody (1993)
- Little Buddha (1993)
- Vanaprastham (1999)
- The Mystic Masseur (2001)
Awards and Honors
Zakir Hussain received many important awards:
- He was given the Padma Shri in 1988, Padma Bhushan in 2002, and Padma Vibhushan in 2023. These are some of India's highest civilian awards.
- In 1990, he received the Indo-American Award for helping connect the cultures of the United States and India.
- He was one of the youngest musicians to receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990 from the President of India.
- His album Planet Drum won the first-ever Grammy for Best World Music Album in 1992.
- In 1999, he received the National Heritage Fellowship from the U.S. government, presented by First Lady Hillary Clinton.
- He was honored with the Kalidas Samman in 2006, an award for artists who achieve great things.
- In 2009, his album Global Drum Project won a Grammy for Contemporary World Music Album.
- In 2017, the San Francisco Jazz Center gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award.
- In 2019, he received the Academy Fellow award from the Sangeet Natak Academy in India.
- In 2022, he received the Kyoto Prize, which is Japan's highest private award for global achievement in the Arts and Philosophy category.
- At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in 2024, Zakir Hussain won three Grammy Awards!
- One for his work on the album Pashto.
- Another for As We Speak, which won Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
- His third win was for This Moment, the comeback album of the band Shakti.
A Special Tribute
In the Tamil song "Telephone Manipol" from the 1996 film Indian, there's a line that says "Zakir Hussain Tabela Ivaltana". This line is a special tribute to him and his amazing tabla playing.
See also
In Spanish: Zakir Hussain para niños
