The pinnacle of tabla playing, Ustad Zakir Hussainji has now become a memory. However, his contribution to the world of art will remain immortal. Through television advertisements, we all witnessed him exclaiming "Wah Taj!" Aged 12, he gave his first concert in America. In 1973, he launched his first album, 'Living in the Material World'. At the age of 12, Zakir Hussain performed tabla on a professional stage, graced by many stalwarts of Indian classical music. For that performance, he received Rs 5, which he always considered his most valuable earning. He could mimic the sounds of a train or a siren on the tabla. Zakir Hussain earned numerous honors, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, America’s National Heritage Fellowship, and France’s "Order of Arts and Letters." The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. Zakir said that instead of whispering the Azaan in his ears as a newborn, his father whispered a tabla rhythm. That rhythm (Taal) became the foundation of his life, turning into the Taj (crown) of his legacy.
