Remo Fernandes, Musician
‘Ustad Zakir Hussain first visited me in Siolim in Goa in the 1990s when I was at the peak of my pop career. He had simply dropped by because he had listened to some of my music and wanted to see me. Months later, I found myself on stage with him at an awards ceremony in Mumbai. A Goan obsessed with pop, and an Indian classical tabla maestro, together on stage—nobody knew what to expect, including me! To add to the newness of this unusual jugalbandi, we had no time to rehearse before the show. But when we took the stage, it felt like I was performing with an old bandmate. I started off with a Brazilian tune and he somehow picked up from there. That surprise jugalbandi is possibly the longest I ever communicated with the Ustad.’

‘He had brilliant wit’

Zakir Hussain with Dhruv Ghanekar (right) in a still from the film, Saaz. Pic Courtesy/YouTube