Ustad Zakir Hussain held Kerala’s traditional percussion culture in high esteem, says veteran percussionist Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar
The Hindu“Zakirji had huge respect for Kerala and its traditional percussion instrument chenda,” recalls veteran Kerala percussionist Mattannur Sankarankutty Marar as memories of his long-standing association with the tabla maestro Zakir Hussain come rushing in. Zakirji, who had scored music for the movie, had told the director that he would like to see me perform thayambaka, a solo recital on chenda,” recalls Mattannur, as the percussionist is popularly known, as the world mourned the death of the legendary classical musician in the U.S. on December 16 morning. Later, many percussion lovers had told me that the influence of thayambaka was reflected towards the end of his solo performances at various venues, showing his love for Kerala’s rich percussion culture,” he says. Their personal relationship hit the zenith when Ustad Zakir Hussain asked Mr. Marar and his sons to join him for a month-long performance in the United States in 2019 as part of the 100th birth anniversary of his father Ustad Alla Rakha.
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