The son of Ustad Alla Rakha, quite possibly one of the greatest exponents of the tabla instrument the world has ever seen. Zakirji has taken the flame that Pandit Ravi Shankar lit back in the fifties, of introducing Indian classical music to world audience (esp. the west), to new heights and constantly strives to do that even to this day.
Zakirji has forged new ways of taking this rich Indian classical tradition to the masses in the west. He has done this very successfully by working with various musicians from all parts of the world. Zakirji has a unique way of fusing his Indian rhythms into the overall collage of music that could be based on any musical style ranging from jazz, rock, folk, African, Japanese or any other genre you can possibly imagine. He has an extraordinary ability to improvise in any form of music with his percussion and blur that line between the traditions.
Zakirji has also managed to strike a very good balance between the traditional classical music and the overall space of world music. He spends a great part of his time performing in the pure Indian classical realm (Hindustani and Carnatic), while managing to forge new ways in the realm of world music. As per Zakirji, his father did not approve of his dabbling in western music and he promised his father that he would not let that part of his tradition suffer or die and he tries to spend at least six months of the year performing exclusively in the Indian classical realm.
Zakirji was a child prodigy and has been touring since the age of twelve. He came to the US in 1970 to assist in the efforts at Ustad Ali Akbar Khan?s Ali Akbar School of Music in San Rafael, California. The rest as they say is history. Zakirji tours every year with no less than 150 dates in a calendar year including the winter months spent touring India and accompanying various musicians.
In 1987, his first solo release, Making Music, was acclaimed as ''one of the most inspired East-West fusion albums ever recorded.'' In 1988, he became the youngest percussionist to ever be awarded the title ''Padma Shri'' by the Indian government, a title given to civilians of merit. In 1990, he was awarded the Indo-American Award, in recognition for his outstanding contribution to relations between the United States and India.
In April 1991, he was presented with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award by the president of India, making him one of the youngest musicians to recieve this recognition from India's governing cultural institute. In 1992, Planet Drum, an album co-created and produced by Zakir and Mickey Hart, was awarded a Grammy for Best World Music Album, the Downbeat Critics Poll for Best World Beat Album and the NARM Indie Best Seller Award for World Music Recording.
Zakirji has accompanied virtually every possible touring musician in the Hindustani music tradition including greats such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Pandit Birju Maharaj, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan to name just a few. He has also actively accompanied carnatic musicians including greats such as L. Shankar, L. Subramanium to name a few.
On the world music front, his most notable contribution is obviously his association with Shakti, however, he has also worked on various other endeavors such as a Shanti, Diga Rhythm Band, Planet Drum (w/Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead), George Harrison, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Jack Bruce, Tito Puente, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, the Hong Kong Symphony and the New Orleans Symphony.
Zakirji heads his own ensemble of percussionists in a band called the ?Rhythm Experience? and another such outfit of Indian percussionists called ?Masters of Percussion?. Lately Zakir has also been spending some time touring and performing with Bill Laswell?s percussion outfit ?Tabla Beat Science? with Karsh Kale.
In 1992, he also launched Moment! Records which features original works and collaborations in the field of contemporary world music, as well as digitally recorded live concert performances by great masters of the classical music of India.
Zakirji has also composed and collaborated on the music scores of several movies including, ?In Custody?, Ismail Merchant's directorial debut, ?Little Buddha? by Bernardo Bertolucci, and ?Vanaprastham?.
He has also collaborated on musical scores for some Indian films such as ?Saaz? (which he starred in as well), ?Mr. And Mrs. Iyer? and most recently Rahul Bose?s film ?Everybody says I?m fine?, which included session work by such greats as Carlos Santana.
Am not quiet a fan of Ustadji? am a great fan? he has quiet a look and style.. in which he plays and a smile which add on?s to kill me atleast!!
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