Ustad Zakir Hussain (tabla), son of the legendary Ustad Alla Rakha, has built a reputation as one of the most formidable tabla players in Indian classical music.
Zakir Hussain began performing as a child prodigy at age 8. In constant demand as an accompanist, he has performed with most of India's greatest musicians and dancers. While he has few equals as a traditional tabla player, he has also been an innovator, bridging the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions by performing with both North and South Indian masters and presenting percussion concerts both as a soloist and with other drummers.
In addition to his dedication to the Indian classical music tradition, Zakir has been a pioneer in introducing the tabla to wider audiences in the West through his collaborations with jazz and rock musicians, and with percussionists from Latin America, Africa and Europe. As a member of the East/West fusion group Shakti, he won critical acclaim for his virtuosity.
Zakir's father, Alla Rakha passed away in February of 2000, but his legacy continues with the Masters of Percussion tours that feature Zakir and two of his brothers (Fazal and Taufiq Qureshi). Ustad Zakir Hussain has epitomised tabla like no one else has managed to. A solo performer par excellence, his renditions often are the lifelines for concerts. A cultural ambassador of our country, he has introduced the Indian rhythms to the world with his dazzling youthful performance. Zakir Hussain has composed and performed music for various films. He arranged the opening music for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1991, one of the projects that Zakir was involved with, Planet Drum, received a Grammy for Best World Music album.
The exponent who got tabla to the centre stage was born on 9 March 1951. Trained by his father, Ustd. Alah Rakha, who traces his lineage to the Punjab Gharana, Zakir Hussain accompanied Pt. Ravi Shankar at a very young age. Zakir Hussain has performed throughout the world as a soloist. He has completed courses in Chinese, African and Indonesian music at the University of Washington in Seattle and since has been active in fusion of music from several countries, particularly drums and percussion.
Zakir Hussain has performed at a variety of concerts, embracing both Eastern and Western classical music together with jazz, rock and fusion. He has composed music for films like Apocalypse Now, Heat and Dust, Vietnam and A Television History. He has 145 albums to his credit and is teaching tabla at Washington, California, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Port and other Universities. He has been honoured with a "Padma Shree" in 1988; and "Padma bhushan" in 2002.
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most of India's greatest musicians and dancers. While he has few equals as a traditional tabla player, he has also been an innovator, bridging the Hindustani and Carnatic traditions by performing with both North and South Indian masters and presenting percussion concerts both as a soloist and with other drummers. 
traces his lineage to the Punjab Gharana, Zakir Hussain accompanied Pt. Ravi Shankar at a very young age. Zakir Hussain has performed throughout the world as a soloist. He has completed courses in Chinese, African and Indonesian music at the University of Washington in Seattle and since has been active in fusion of music from several countries, particularly drums and percussion.