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Zakir Hussain | Essential albums and listening guide
Explore Zakir Hussain through Making Music. Discover what to listen for and follow related styles to your next record.
Zakir Hussain
Meet the artist
An Indian tabla player whose work in Indian classical music and collaborations such as Shakti with John McLaughlin deepened improvised dialogue across musical cultures. He shapes the tabla's deep resonance and dry upper tones into speech-like rhythm.
Rapid patterns have melodic expression, while quieter exchanges reveal equal sensitivity. A deep grounding in Indian classical music supports responsive encounters with other traditions. In Shakti, exchanges with guitar and violin go beyond fixed accompaniment. Listening for color, questions and answers reveals a rich narrative within rhythm itself.
Where to start listening
Distinguish the pitches and textures of the percussion instead of hearing a single rhythmic layer. Brief exchanges with melody instruments bring the conversation into focus.
1987Making Music
Zakir Hussain
This ECM album features improvisations by Indian and Western jazz musicians, led by the tabla player Zakir Hussain. It is a record of musical dialogues that transcend cultures.
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1976Shakti
John McLaughlin / Zakir Hussain / L. Shankar
It’s a live album by Shakti, formed by John McLaughlin together with renowned musicians of North Indian classical music. This album represents a new improvisational approach where jazz and Indian music are equally important.
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Years follow the Atlas catalogue. Recording dates, original release dates and digital reissue dates may differ.