AMONG the several celebrities that I met and/or interviewed over the years was tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, who passed away recently. I met him at his residence in the United States. He lamented that he could not get an opportunity to perform in Pakistan.

The first time he visited the country was when he came to Lahore with his father, the tabla wizard Ustad Allah Rakha, who had been invited to provide rhythmic support to Noorjehan and Farida Khanum for the classical raga-based duet. I am referring to the inimitable song Sajan lagi tori lagan mun ma. Composed by music directors Saleem-Iqbal for the unforgettable movie Baji, it was later picturised on Amy Minwala and Pannah.

“I loved that song in more ways than one,” Zakir Hussain enthused as he gave me an invitation to his performance scheduled for two days later. To say that he was excellent during that performance is to put my feelings rather mildly. It rever-berated in my memory for years.

The second time he visited Pakistan was when singer Adnan Sami Khan invited him to accompany him in a musical prog-

ramme, but as bad luck would have it, Zakir Hussain’s flight got delayed. By the time he could land, Adnan had already started his performance.

Full marks to the visitor, for, instead of going to the hotel where he was to stay, Zakir Hussain mounted the stage and started playing on the tabla, providing rhythmic supportto the singer. It was amazing especially because he weaved his magic even though he had never collaborated with the singer earlier. Those in the audience returned home delighted.

Asif Noorani
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2024