Once again, wah Ustad!

A talented line-up of musicians will pay a tribute to Ustad Zakir Hussain at the upcoming Serendipity Arts Festival

- Deepali Dhingra

Last year robbed us of Ustad Zakir Hussain, the legendary tabla virtuoso. His long-term associates Ranjit Barot and Zubin Balaporia believe that it was his humanity, his magnanimity and his positive approach towards life that drew everyone to him.

The duo is paying a tribute to Hussain with a show titled ‘Ustad’ at the upcoming Serendipity Arts Festival happening in Goa. They have curated a lineup of incredible musicians such as Fazal Qureshi, Gino Banks, Rakesh Chaurasia and Louis Banks among others and the evening promises to be a musical extravaganza, right from jazz and fusion to Indian classical and contemporary improvisation. One of the highlights of the show is an audio presentation of the Ustad's tabla performance. As Zubin puts it, “Though he will not be present physically with us on stage, he will be there sonically and spiritually.”

Excerpts from the interview:

What kind of impact do you think Ustad Zakir Hussain had on music as well as on musicians?