The Tabla Man
Title: ZAKIR and his
tabla
Text: Sandhya Rao
Illustration: Priya
Kurian
ISBN:
978-93-89203-70-7
Published in:
English (275/-) + Hindi (165/-)
First Published:
2020
An image of Zakir
Hussain and Allahrakha sits on one of the walls at home. The focus is on
Allahrakha with Zakir Hussain in the foreground. I have many a time looked at
it and each time felt that there was a special feel to the image. And, perhaps,
to their relationship as well. This book brings it out. The musical bonding of
the father and son.
The book begins with
an incident Zakir Hussain has narrated in one
of his earlier interviews. That of the one and half day young Zakir Hussain getting
to hear music (“bols”, “magical rythms”) from his father instead of prayers.
It also talks of how, during childhood years, he used to wake up around 3 am
each day to learn music from his father. Of this he has mentioned in a recent interview as well, “Growing up in India, between 3-8 in the morning, I
would spend two-and-a-half to 3 hours with my father learning Shiv stuti, Ganesh vandana, Saraswati vandana and
how to recreate that on the tabla.” A
father who passed his skills, shared and created space for his son for flower,
to surpass him. This book is also about Allahrakha.
“As they sat cocooned in the warmth of their music,
dawn’s first rays would light up the sky”.
Zakir Hussain is energy
personified for some, for some he is synonymous with flair, for others long
hair, for yet others all of this and more. I do not claim to understand the tabla
but surely enjoy listening to it. Zakir Hussain for me, and many like me,
demystified tabla. This book walks in the same direction; it demystifies him.
Few books blow you
away with their cover. Fewer manage to retain that impression even after you
have the book in your hands and have put time with it. This is one such book. Images
bring out his hair, mischievousness and are fun. My favourite is the one where
a young Zakir Hussain plays tabla with Allahrakha’s students watching him. Smart
and sparing use of colours adds to the feel – akin to pineapple in a
salad. Little wonder that Priya Kurian won
the Big Little Book
Award for illustrations.
Absence of ‘difficult
to comprehend terms’ and ‘preaching’ add to the positives. Page
numbers are absent as well – there is no clutter.
One complaint with
the book is that it ends soon. I wanted the text and illustrations to go on and
tell me more about Zakir Hussain and music. The book talks of his journey till
his youth when he was collaborating with senior artists and travelling the
world.
“. . everybody wanted to watch his
fingers disappear off the tablas and
his curls fly about his face. To listen to
his music.
They still do.”
Zakir Hussain continues
to mesmerize fans. His performance with Niladri Kumar at NCPA was streamed live
on facebook during January. During February he made his annual trip to Prithvi Theatre. The other day we looked
up poetry by Faiz Ahmed Faiz and came across gems composed by him.
This book is put
together by a team that loves Zakir Hussain and music. The book
succeeds in transmitting this love. It has the potential to open up new worlds
for the younger ones.
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