Ustad Zakir Hussain

Watch Ustad Zakir Hussain Video on YouTube

Photo Courtesy: Pluz Cinema

Sathish Babu - Disciple of Ustad Alla Rakha

26th March 2016

By Shri Sathish Babu, 
Disciple of Ustad Alla Rakha

Venue: Vyloppilly Sanskriti Bhavan, 

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

Lehra Harmonium: Shri Sreejith
Photos by: Abhinand

Visit Shri Sathish's Website

This time, however, felt different...

Photo: John 

This is not a a piece expounding on how I randomly check different writings and I use my Macbook only for typing Passwords and search queries, I cannot admit that there's a writer's block. When we see a performing art, a painting,  a book, a creativity.. we are being a part of that and an inheritance happens.

Solitude

For the last couple of weeks things happening like that.. Apart from a performer, becoming a viewer, audience. Hands or fingers froze? Staring screen, nothing to write

Happy Birthday Ustad Zakir Hussain

Ustad Zakir Hussain,more than a brillianttable player - he is a musical phenomenon who has changed the way we think about the tabla and the musicians who play it. It is difficult to think of anyone else in the world who has made an Instrument Lovable...
Happy birthday Ustad!!

Ustad Zakir Hussain was born on March 9, 1951. His father Ustad Allarakha (Abbaji) was himself an established tabla player. Zakir Hussain did his schooling from St. Michael's High School in Mahim and completed his graduation from St Xaviers, Mumbai. Zakir Hussain was a child prodigy and started touring by the age of twelve. He came to the United States in 1970 and started his international career.

Zakir Hussain is a classical tabla virtuoso and the most famous tabla player in India today. His contribution in the field of percussion and in the music world at large is highly appreciated.

Tabla & the world of Rhythms

Indian percussion instrument, which dates back to the times of Persian Muslims. Actually, Tabla forms a major instrument of Indian music. The instrument used to be the part of Classical and Hindustani music, but today it is adding to the flavor of every kind of music, especially jazz. Beats of the Tabla drums can be heard notably in the music of India.
Enjoy the Instrument!!

..on Tabla

Here is the theka-s of certain tals! on Tabla

Teental: Tintal is in 16 beats divided into 4+4+4+4.

Dha Dhin Dhin Dha, Dha Dhin Dhin Dha, Dha Tin Tin Na, Ta Dhin Dhin Dha

Ektal: Ektal is in 12 beats divided into 3+3+3+3.

Dhin - Dhin - Dha Ge, TeRe KeTe Tun - Na -, Kat - Ta - Dha Ge, TeRe KeTe Dhin - Na -.

Dadra: Dadra is in 6 beats divided into 3+3.

Dha Dhi Na, Na Tu Na.

Rupak: Rupak is in 7 beats divided into 3+2+2.

Tin Tin Na, Dhi Na, Dhi Na.

Keherva:Keherva is in 8 beats divided into 4+4.

Dha Ge Na Ti, Na Ke Tu Na.

Deepchandi: Dipchandi is in 14 beats divided into 3+4+3+4.

Dha Dhin -, Dha Dha Dhin -, Na Tun -, Dha Dha Dhin -.

Pair of drums

A pair of drums. It consists of a small right hand drum called dayan (literally means right) and a larger metal one called bayan (literally means left).
Undoubtedly the most striking characteristic of the tabla is the large black spot (called siyahi) on each of the playing surfaces. The siyahi (Siyah literally means black) is mixture of gum,syahi powder..... Its function is to create the tone timbre that is the characteristic of the instrument.Apart from a pecussion Instrument, its Barriers widened allover the world of jazz,morethan that! The invention of tabla and many other instruments is attributed to Amir Khusru.There is a tendency to attribute the development of almost everything to him. Anyway it is unfortunate that the history of the beginning of tabla is still in dispute.Let it be like That!