Every Instrument has a Spirit - Ustad Zakir Hussain

One of the most awaited sessions saw tabla maestro Zakir Hussain come to JLF for the very first time. The session started with Sanjoy K. Roy, co-founder and managing director of Teamwork Arts welcoming the India-born television producer, director and author Nasreen Munni Kabir and Zakir Hussain.

The trio discussed in stage Munni's experience while writing her book- 'Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music'. Hussain kept the momentum going throughout the session by sharing some of the lesser-known aspects of his life. A significant part of his discussion was based on his life experiences, his father, love for music and tabla and his recent stint with Jazz.

Sharing insights from his early life, Zakir said that the first thing his father whispered just after his birth were random beats of the tabla. He shared how his daily routine began by singing prayers of many religions and shlokas of Lord Ganesha and Saraswati with his father, followed by Koran lessons in a Madrasa and then reciting hymns in his school.

Talking about his devotion to music, Zakir emphasized that every musical instrument has its own spirit and before mastering the instrument one needs to completely sink into its spirit and accept it wholeheartedly. He went on to add,“This is the reason why my father used to leave me with the instruments. He never forced me to play an instrument. This ensured that I held no negative rebellion against him.”

He also said that being a musician is not a daily job. “You have to have a leap of faith in you. When you do that the world starts listening to you,” said the tabla expert.

While praising Zakir for managing to give time and effort for this book, Munni Kabir said that Zakir Hussain is a natural storyteller. She added that her book was not a biography or autobiography of Zakir. But simply a collection of conversations where the reader gets to know about his life and experiences.