Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain to perform live in Delhi

Master tabla player and 2002 Padma Bhushan recipient Ustad Zakir Hussain is all set to perform live at the Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra here on Thursday, in memory of the Kendra's founding member Lala Charat Ram.

The 67-year-old Hussain, who has been associated with the Kendra since the last four decades, will be performing after a gap of eight years, the cultural centre said in a statement.

In 1999, Hussain was honoured with the United States National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship -- the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians.

Still recalled as the face of the "Wah Taj" advertising campaign, he became a household name owing to his brilliant performances.

The centre's Director and Charat Ram's daughter Shobha Deepak Singh recalled her 35-year-old association with the maestro: "I still remember the day when he performed for the Kendra for the first time. He was actually a last moment entry to the musicians we had in our annual festival.

"Two musicians from Pakistan were supposed to perform but it got cancelled at the end and I still remember how beautifully he handled the whole situation by his performance," she said in a statement.

The live concert will have the tabla maestro accompanied by his frequent collaborators Anantha R. Krishnan on mridangam, Sabir Khan on sarangi and Navin Sharma on dholak.

--IANS

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