The Annenberg Center Presents Zakir Hussain And Masters Of Percussion In A Livestreamed Performance

The Annenberg Center presents a performance of Zakir Hussain, the "peerless master of the Indian tabla" (NPR), joined by Pezhham Akhavass (tombak and daf), Marcus Gilmore (drums) and Abbos Kosimov (doyra), in a lively showcase of vibrant Indian music. An international phenomenon and true virtuoso, Hussain performs meditative classical ragas and high-energy rhythmic drumming, mesmerizing audiences with his uncanny intuition and masterful improvisational dexterity.

Every other year since 1996, Zakir Hussain has served as curator, conductor and producer, bringing the very best of Indian music to America and Europe with his series, Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion. Growing out of his renowned international tabla duet tours with his father, the legendary Ustad Allarakha, Masters of Percussion began as a platform for both popular and rarely heard rhythm traditions from India. While performing and collaborating in India for a few months every year, Hussain has sought and unearthed lesser-known folk and classical traditions which feed into the greater stream of Indian music, playing an educational role in affording them greater visibility, as well as introducing them to audiences in the West. Over time, the constantly changing ensemble has expanded to include great drummers and percussionists from many world traditions, including jazz. The 2021 version is no exception, presenting American audiences with extraordinary, exciting and spontaneous combinations of percussive and melodic performances.

Hussain comments, "Masters of Percussion 2021 features master drummers from Uzbekistan, Iran, India and the USA. Abbos Kosimov is a master of the Uzbek frame drum known as the doyra. Pezhham Akhavass is an acclaimed exponent of the tombek and the Iranian frame drum, daf. I represent the traditional rhythm repertoire of north India on tabla and Marcus Gilmore is the most talked about young jazz drummer of our time."

"Indian, Uzbek and Iranian rhythm traditions have common routes; the technique and the repertoire of these three ancient traditions can be interchangeable. The above four genres could easily be recognized as cousins, with the salient unifying feature in all of them being improvisation. Every Masters of Percussion tour performance is a casting off into the unknown, but 2021 is exceptional in that regard. We will be operating in new musical territories-every moment of every night."

This is a live event, performed on the Annenberg Center stage and streamed online, and includes an interactive Q&A with the performers. Visit AnnenbergCenter.org for details.

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