Santoor player Rahul Sharma: ‘Zakir Hussain played his last concert with me’

We performed seven concerts in the USA Our last concert was in Urbana Indiana on October 30 this year The following day we were to perform in Columbus Ohio So we drove all night covering a fivehour journey and reached Columbus at 5 am We were set to perform that evening but at around 1130 am I was informed that he was being checked into a hospital because he wasnrsquot feeling too wellHe had bouts of coughing while we were on the tour I was telling him that he needed to address it He said he would when he had some time and that he needed to get an Xray done We tried to see him when he was admitted but couldnrsquot go But he was taken right in front of usOur remaining two concerts were cancelled and I flew back to India to be in touch with the family His tests were fine and he was discharged Then they flew to San Francisco where he was being treated This was about 25 days ago As we speak I am in Gwalior because I was performing here When I heard the news I was taken aback The news was not confirmed by the family and we were trying to get in touch with them He was still alive He passed away this yesterday morning in ISTHe was a true legend a superstar in the truest sense Yet he was humble learned knowledgeable and a great conversationalist He wasnrsquot only aware of music but knew about all worldly matters Off stage we never had any communication on music Wersquod discuss food and travel He leaves behind a legacy not just in Indian classical music but in the music scene itself There will never be another Zakir HussainHe was an artiste who would constantly innovate and move ahead with the times When our tour began I asked him how he was touring nonstop He said he had been busy after COVID and that he had only been on the road The human body canrsquot take this kind of travel And as artists and musicians we travel a lot So itrsquos not easy on the body While travelling he did seem exhausted but that was not unnatural because his schedule was like that of a 30yearold But while playing one couldnrsquot tell the difference Hersquod hit the crescendos and go super fastHis first concert was with my dad Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and the last one was with me It seems he had a connection with my family Since he was a teenager he began performing with my late father At times my parents would even fetch him from his college because he was so youngHe would arrive at my home unannounced because hersquod say lsquoWhy do I need to announce that I am coming to my own homersquo That was the kind of relationship we had Irsquove seen him as a happygolucky person He would want us to even celebrate the fact that hersquos not here He was just that kind of person He had that energy and vibeWe have done so many tours in the US and India He was always fully attentive as an artist on stage When a tabla player performs he accompanies other musicians The attentiveness with which he would hear the other artists playing so that he could complement that was remarkable At times people would simply go through the grind because theyrsquod done it so often But he was true to his art and didnrsquot care really about what the audience thought He would enjoy his music and his personality was such that the audience just loved itSo yeah the transition has been great but he treated everybody with respect so whether it was a famous person or not a famous person who would invite him you know he had the deepest humility and thatrsquos something to learn from him even when you achieve such great success On stage he was immediately likeable He was the kind of artist who had it all not just as far as his personality was concerned but also when it came to his talent and innovations He dabbled in all genres of music whether it was Indian classical or fusion via his band Shakti Such people are born once in a centuryHe acknowledged the fact that tabla players probably did not get their due earlier on about 50 years ago And he singlehandedly created a space so big that even solo tabla concerts happen todayMy fondest memory of him traces back to 1994 I had only begun performing on stage and we were doing an intricate taal After the concert he slipped a 100 bill in my pocket He said lsquoWhat you did was very good I know yoursquore going on a USA tour Spend it therersquo That was pretty special to me