Zakir Hussain: Master of the Speaking Hands
Zakir Hussain is not only recognized as one of the world’s top fusion artists and greatest percussionists, but he has also built a long list of genre-crossing collaborations. Hussain performed with Grateful Dead’s drummer Mickey Hart on the Grammy-winning project Planet Drum. In 1999, he formed the musical group Tabla Beat Science with visionary bassist-producer Bill Laswell. Virtuoso jazz guitarist John McLaughlin teamed up with Hussain in Shakti, a pioneering ensemble that explored the early fusion of Indian and jazz music. Last Friday, for 100 minutes, the Kahilu Theatre audience experienced a memorable auditory and visual performance unlike any other in the venue’s 38th season.
Hussain was originally scheduled to perform a duet with sitarist Niladri Kumar, but visa issues prevented Kumar from traveling to the Big Island. Instead, accomplished sarodist Alam Khan—son of the renowned sarode maestro Ali Akbar Khan—took his place. Alam has performed with a wide range of artists from different genres, including the Grammy-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band, Bob Weir, and composer Rob Wasserman. He also served as a personal assistant to his father during his final years, helping him teach at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California. Alam had played with Hussain before, but this was his first performance in Hawaii.
Chuck Gessert, Kahilu’s Artistic Director, mentioned in his introduction that he was excited to bring a world-class artist like Hussain to the Big Island and introduce our community to sub-genres of beautiful music they might have never heard before. The two-time Grammy-winning tabla virtuoso Hussain, 68, is familiar with our state. He toured the islands with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra in 2009, and his daughter was married on Maui.
The Kahilu Theatre was packed, and concertgoers welcomed Hussain with loud applause and cheers. Hussain walked up a short set of steps to a three-foot-high raised platform, touched the stage before stepping onto it—perhaps as a blessing—and then sat cross-legged and barefoot in front of his pair of tablas. He explained that the tabla is a relatively new instrument, about 200 years old, but India has been playing a variety of them for roughly 2,000 years. “It’s very similar to a piano and has a great dynamic range with all sorts of combinations and permutations,” Hussain remarked. “This type of drumming has a language that can be spoken and written down, and there are stories of gods and goddesses.”
Hussain then dusted his palms with powder too and played a short warm-up set before Alam came to the stage. He dedicated a brief syncopated rendition of “Happy Birthday” to his close friend and Big Island resident Charlie Anderson. Hussain followed with a wild nine-minute solo, peppering it with snippets of “The Pink Panther Theme” and the drum solo from Iron Butterfly’s 1968 hit “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida.”
Alam entered the stage area with his sarode. It’s a beautiful 25-string, lute-like instrument with a deep resonant tone. Hussain said there would normally be a third person joining them on stage to play the tanpura, but instead, they used a pre-recorded track made for Alam’s father. The tanpura is a long-necked string instrument that doesn’t play a melody but supports the sarode’s melody by providing a continuous drone or bourdon.
Hussain and Kahn’s duet started with an alap, a meditative part of the performance. An alap is an improvised yet structured introduction to a raga, which traditionally pays homage and respect to the spirits of music that are no longer with us. Kahn’s alap lasted about ten minutes before transitioning into the main composition. Overall, it was a 31-minute piece filled with Hussain’s tabla mastery and Kahn’s captivating finger work.
The duo’s second and final piece was a faster tempo raga that lasted nearly 30 minutes. It was mesmerizing to watch Hussain’s incredible dexterity on the tabla as he used his fingers and the heels of his hands to produce melodic tones. Several times, Hussain and Kahn engaged in a call-and-response duel – each pushing the other to the limit. Hussain often glanced at Kahn in amazement and shared a smile of gratitude for his fellow musician’s exceptional skills.
As the crowd gave a standing ovation, Chuck Gessert returned to the stage to bestow leis and hugs on both musicians. Devoted fans waited in the lobby for a chance to meet the performers.
Hussain provides a 104-minute documentary download on his website called The Speaking Hand. Check out the trailer here. Watching Hussain’s father explain the tabla’s melodic rhythm alone makes it worth the price of admission. On Kahn’s site, he offers three CDs, including the recent EP titled Vignettes.
Steve Roby is a music journalist and best-selling author, originally from San Francisco. He’s been featured in the NY Times, Rolling Stone, and Billboard Magazine. Roby is also the Managing Editor of Big Island Music Magazine.
Photos: Steve Roby
