Jugalbandi By Ustad Zakir Hussain & Ustad Sultan Khan: Events in Hyderabad

REVIEW FOR JUGALBANDI BY USTAD ZAKIR...

The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Limited is organising the annual Taramati Music & Dance Festival, from 7th to 9th December, at the Taramati Baradari Culture Complex, Ibrahimbagh, Gandipet Road. The 3-day festival will feature some of the country's topmost artistes, Dr. Ananda Shankar Jayant, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Ustad Sultan Khan, Pt. Birju Maharaj and Jagjit Singh.

Today, the first day, Ustad Zakir Hussain on the tabla and Ustad Sultan Khan with the sarangi and vocals will perform in the second concert of the day - a jugalbandi.

Zakir Hussain, son and disciple of renowned tabla maestro Late Ustad Alla Rakha, showed unusual talent on tabla drums as a child. He began his musical career at the age of 7, and was touring by the age of 12. At 19, he accompanied the legendary sitar player Pandit Ravi Shankar to the United States to perform at Fillmore East.

Hussain has composed and released many albums with the likes of George Harrison, Van Morrison and Joe Henderson, and on the soundtracks of films like 'Apocalyse Now', 'In Custody', 'Little Buddha' and 'Heat and Dust' - for the last one, he was nominated in the Best Music Director category at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival. He also arranged the opening music for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Hussain has received many awards for his contributions to the world of music. In 1988, he became the youngest percussionist to be awarded the title Padmasri by the Indian government. In 1990, he was awarded the Indo-American Award, and the President of India honored him with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1991. In 1992, one of the projects 'Planet Drum' that Zakir Hussian did with Mickey Hart received a Grammy for Best World Music Album.

One of India's most celebrated musicians, Ustad Sultan Khan has played a key role in raising the status of the sarangi from a peripheral accompanying instrument to one for solo performance. He belongs to the 8th generation of a family of accomplished sarangi players, being the grandson of Ustad Azim Khan and the son of Ustad Gulab Khan.

Though his father and grandfather were noted sarangiyas and vocalists of their time, Sultan Khan remained primarily an instrumentalist till a few years ago, when filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali changed his life forever by giving him a chance to sing in the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. The Ustad was almost 60 by then. Today he is one of the highest paid background singers of Bollywood.

A recipient of numerous musical awards, including the Sangeet Natya Academy Award twice and the Gold Medal from the Maharashtra government, he has also received the 1998 American Academy of Artists Awards.

The entry is by tickets of Rs. 1,000 / Rs. 500 / Rs. 250 per head per day. Please contact Praveen at 98485-35654 for ticket bookings and further details.