17122024-LSTL-01.qxd 12/16/2024 8:27 PM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE BARBIE SEQUEL IN PIPELINE? The wildly successful Barbie film, which earned a staggering $1.4 billion globally, could soon return to the big screen. Oscar-nominated writers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach have already developed an idea for a sequel. No fight! Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff, who is known for adrenalinerushing action sequences, has revealed that he does not like to fight. LUDHIANA | TUESDAY | 17 DECEMBER 2024 Legendary tabla player Zakir Hussain has passed on, but he leaves behind a legacy for generations to cherish Mona Z Farewell,Ustad AKIR HUSSAIN, the tabla maestro who was initiated into music the moment he was brought home from the nursing home as ‘Baby Qureshi’, lived up to the legacy of his illustrious family well, only taking it to new heights. One of the greatest tabla players of all time, Grammy winner, actor and composer, Zakir Hussain left music -overs in deep sorrow on Monday as he breathed his last at a hospital in San Francisco. Born to legendary tabla virtuoso Ustad Alla Rakha, Zakir’s education in music began at home. By 12, he was already part of international concerts while travelling the world. In the six decades of his musical journey, he earned name and fame not just as one of the finest percussionist, but also a leading figure of Hindustani classical music and jazz fusion. Spending his initial years at Mumbai, where he did his schooling and college, Zakir went on to earn his PhD in music from the University of Washington. While he travelled the world, preforming at every eminent stage, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, he settled in the US. He taught at prestigious universities, including Stanford, Princeton and UC Berkeley. His yearly workshop in the San Francisco Bay Area has been a sought-after and revered destination for tabla performers for the last three decades. Ground-breaking collaborations, awards and honours, including Padma Vibhushan and Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy, he was a man as feted as loved. If Wah Taj has been forever been associated with the curly haired, energetic, jovial man, he was also the leading authority on contemporary world TEMPLE AT THE GOLDEN music, giving multiple historic collaborations. cian may have begun The year 2024 was grand his journey into the other for Hussain as he won realm, but he will continue three Grammys at the 66th to be revered for the music Annual Grammy Awards that became a bridge —for Best Global Music between North and South Album, Best Global Music Indian artistes. Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumen- ROLL OF HONOUR Padma Shri, Padma tal Album. Bhushan and Padma VibThe multifaceted musi- R IT RAVI SHANKA R MAESTRO PAND ORMS WITH SITA PERF ZAKIR HUSSAIN hushan awardee, Zakir Hussain has also been the recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He has been honoured with Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy, Aga Khan Music Award and United States National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, along with many others awards. GRAMMY CORNER Zakir Hussain received three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming the first Indian to garner this honour in one single night in February, 2024 — Best Global Music Performance for Pashto; Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for As We Speak and Best Global Music Album for This Moment. He won his first Grammy Best Contemporary World Music for the album Global Drum Project in 2009. Thanduvitaen Ennai. Documentaries Zakir and His Friends (1998) and Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum (2003), showcased his life. CINEMA CALLING LOVE & RESPECT Zakir also gave music in films like Merchant Ivory ’ s Heat and Dust (1983), Miss Beatty’s Children (1992), Saaz (1998) and Manto (2018). He acted in films like The Monkey Man and Zakir Hussain kept his connect with the city he was born in — Mumbai. On Monday, fashion designer Manish Malhotra posted a series of photos of Zakir Hussain on Instagram and CONNECT THROUGH GENERATIONS I made tablas for himand he made my life, says Haridas Vhatkar For Haridas Vhatkar tabla-making won’t be the same again, as he mourns the passing away of his most celebrated customer — Ustad Zakir Hussain. “I first began making tablas for his father Alla Rakha, and made tablas for Zakir Hussain sahab since 1998,” an emotional Vhatkar, 59, shared. “He was very particular about what sort of tabla he wanted and when. He paid a lot of attention to the ‘tuning’ aspect of the musical instrument,” said Vhatkar, a third-generation tabla-maker, hailing from Miraj in western Maharashtra. “I made tablas for him and he made my life,” he added. — PTI wrote, “RIP Ustad Zakir , Hussain. I had the privilege and honour of dressing maestro Zakir Hussain for the Grammys 2024 and meeting him at our Manish Malhotra headquarters in Mumbai. I will cherish those memories for life. Love and respect.” Hussain recalled, “When the Padma Shri award was announced, it was 4 am. Someone came with a newspaper. I was performing at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai with Pandit Ravishankar ji. My father, Ustad Allah Rakha, was also sitting in the front row.” He continued, “I think someone came and whispered in his ear, informing him about the Padma Shri, as it had been published in the newspapers. He got really excited. My father somehow managed to send the message to Pandit Ravi Shankar ji on stage.” Zakir Hussain added, “Pandit ji (Pandit Ravi Shankar) announced my Padma Shri on stage. It was the first time he addressed me as Ustad. It was a very special moment for me, as it was announced in front of my father and Pandit Ravi Shankar ji, two of my biggest inspirations.” Ustad Zakir Hussain was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. TRUE MASTER PURE GRACE Ustad Zakir Hussain was the youngest Indian to receive the Padma Shri award in 1988. He was addressed as Ustad for the very first time by Pandit Ravi Shankar then. He received the Padma Shri in 1988. In an interview with the national channel DD, Ustad Zakir Hussain narrated an interesting anecdote about the time he received the Padma Shri. Chandigarh-based kathak dancer Shobha Koser says, “Zakir Hussain was a behtreen tabla-nawaz and sangatkaar. He never had the ego of being the ‘Zakir Hussain’ even in his mature years. He would bring out the talent of young artistes who accompanied him on stage and that’s what distinguished him from others. Even off stage, he was kind, graceful and respectful to one and all.” CELEBS MOURN Zakir Hussain fans the world over, including celebrated artistes, were yet to come to terms with his untimely demise. He was 73. One of the most grief-stricken of them all was Hariprasad Chaurasia. “I don’t want to say anything right now... I pray to god that it is a lie,” the 86year-old flautist said. “I never saw him drinking or eating anything wrong. He only lived for his tabla, rhythm and melody. How could this have happened?” he added in disbelief. The world renowned percussionist collaborated with Chaurasia for a number of musical projects, including the live album Remembering Shakti in 1999. Here’s a look at what some of the other celebrities wrote on social media. “Blessed by my guru Ustad @ZakirHtabla at this year’s Guru Poornima…Never imagined that it would be the last time. Om Shanti...Om Shanti...Om Shanti...” —Anuradha Pal “The rhythm of a maestro can never be muted. RIP Zakir Hussain sahab. Shocked and heartbroken by his passing, his legacy will live on in every beat.” —Manoj Bajpayee “Zakir bhai was a father figure to all of us in the music industry. He was our Guru, and we learned a lot from his music. Despite being such a big personality, he had such simplicity. I am fortunate to have spent time with him. I will never be able to forget his laughter, his smile, his words.” —Salim Merchant c m y b “The irreparable loss of Zakir Hussain sahab is a devastating blow to India and the global music community. Sir, your music was a gift, a treasure that will continue to inspire and uplift generations to come. Your legacy will live on. May your soul rest in eternal glory, surrounded by the rhythms and melodies.” —Riteish Deshmukh “Zakir bhai! He left too soon. Yet we are grateful for the times he gave us and what he left behind in the form of his art. Goodbye and thank you.” —Kamal Haasan “Zakir bhai was an inspiration, a towering personality who elevated the tabla to global acclaim. His loss is immeasurable for all of us. I regret not being able to collaborate with him as much as we did decades ago, though we had planned an album together. You shall be truly missed. May his family and his countless stu- dents worldwide find the strength to bear this immense loss.” —AR Rahman —Agencies