Zakir Hussain Coming to Harris Center, 3/30

It was his father who, with Ravi Shankar, brought the glorious music of India to America. And now, Zakir Hussain, the reigning master virtuoso of the tabla, brings Masters of Percussion to the Harris Center for the Arts for one performance only on Wednesday, March 30th. "It is hard to imagine a better champion for Indian classical music in the West than Zakir Hussain; a phenomenal player with unimpeachable music credentials." (San Jose Mercury).

Zakir Hussain is the world's foremost expert on playing the classical Indian drums known as tabla, an unrivaled performer among the greats of Indian music. Moreover, his remarkably wide musical vision has taken him and his tabla into unimagined realms of collaboration that make him one of the chief architects of the contemporary "world music" movement. Shakti, which he founded with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin and violinist L. Shankar; the Diga Rhythm Band and Planet Drum with the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart; and Sangam with jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd and drummer Eric Harland - these award winning, esteemed ensembles only begin to sketch an outline of his career. A child prodigy, Zakir was touring by the age of twelve. Playing in the footsteps of his illustrious father, Ustad Allarakha, he came to the United States in 1970, performing his first US concert at the Fillmore East in New York City with Pandit Ravi Shankar, the beginning of on an illustrious international career.

Acting as a musical bridge between his birthland and the rest of the world, every other year since 1996 he has served as curator, producer and host in bringing the very cream of Indian music to tour America and Europe with his series Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion. The 2016 version is no exception, presenting audiences with extraordinary and exciting combinations of percussive as well as melodic performers.

Zakir's guests for this performance will be Anantha Krishnan on mridangam (a double-ended Southern Indian drum), Sabir Khan on sarangi (a stringed Northern Indian instrument played with a bow), Navin Sharma on dholak (a double-ended pitched drum associated with Indian folk music), and Mannargudi Vasadevan on tavil (a barrel-shaped drum).

Zakir Hussain has received countless honors from sources ranging from the Indian, French, and U.S. governments to Modern Drummer, Drum! and Downbeat Magazines, and NARAS (aka the "Grammys"). He was the recipient of the 1999 National Heritage Fellowship, the United States' most prestigious honor for a master in the traditional arts. Zakir was co-composer of the opening music for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, and in 2007 was chosen by the government of India to compose an anthem to celebrate the country's 60th year of independence. In 2009, his music and extraordinary contributions to the music world were honored with four widely heralded and sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion performs on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are priced at $25-$49; Premium $55. Students with ID $12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from noon to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. The Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

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