Zakir brings Nirvana to Dubai

Ustad Zakir Hussain has been wooing fans all over the world for over three decades with his brilliant performances. The undisputed king of tabla as he's lovingly called, took over the reins from his late father Ustad Alla Rakha, and founded the legendary East–West fusion band, Shakti. The band took the world of music by storm in the ‘70s. Now regrouped and called Remember Shakti, it is still a major draw.

It's this unique brand of music which Zakir would be bringing to the shores of Dubai at the Dubai Tennis Stadium on Friday, February 1.

“It's the highest state of consciousness,'' said Zakir explaining Nirvana, the title of the show at a press meet on Wednesday. "There will be Indian music with elements of jazz," he added.

And can the crowds expect another spellbinding show from the maestro? “I'm just a part of this performance, the other musicians are among the greatest in the world and it's a privilege to play with these masters,'' he added.

Zakir will be accompanied by world class musicians such as bassist Edgar Meyer, banjo player Bela Fleck, kanjira player V. Selvaganesh, sitar virtuoso Niladri Kumar and his brother Taufiq Qureshi on percussion.

The show also features a troupe of drummers from the Indian state of Rajasthan.

"There will be a fine balance between melody and percussion sections,'' said Zakir.

And while he may be acclaimed as the greatest tabla player of all time, he remains modest. “I'm still learning “I always remember my father's advice ‘Never try to be a master, always be a good student' and that's why every time I play, I learn something new.''

It has been said that Shakti helped cultivate acceptance for World Music. But it also helped international audiences understand and accept the intricacies of Indian classical music. “In fact, their music blew me away,'' said Bela, who was intrigued by Indian music when he performed in Mumbai in the mid-‘80s.

Shakti's unique brand of fusion, which successfully blended Indian music with jazz was unplugged, but it still had the power to rock. Zakir, however, doesn't like his music to be lablelled as fusion or World Music. “It's a label that has been given by recording companies and the media. “Call it by any which name, for me it's just music," he asserted.

With such an impeccable line-up who would want to miss out on the Nirvana concert and the chance to hear some of the greatest musicians of our times?