Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart shared a touching tribute to his longtime friend and collaborator, tabla master Zakir Hussain, who passed away on Sunday.
“On December 15 at 3:42 pm, we lost one of the greatest rhythmists that has ever lived on this planet,” Hart wrote. “Zakir Hussain was my brother for over 50 years, my closest collaborator, and my dearest friend. Over the years we have shared places reserved only for those whose lives are totally engulfed by drums.”
Hussain and Hart first came together more than 50 years ago and actually lived together for a time, according to Hart. Hussain played on his 1972 solo album Rolling Thunder, and 20 years later, their revolutionary Planet Drum project brought together drummers from diverse traditions and won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best World Music Album. Their partnership spanned decades and included tours and a followup album, Global Drum Project, which won the Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2009. Just two years ago, they reunited for In the Groove and performed with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros.
“As the son of the great Ustad Allarakha, my early mentor, Zakir was trained from birth in the classical tradition of North Indian music. His prodigy was fated, his role as a rhythm master had been cast,” said Hart.
He continued:
As a teenager, Zakir had a dream that determined his future in America. For a time we lived together in Novato, California in a barn at my ranch. His skill at the young age of 19 was breathtaking. We embarked on our shared life journey of over 50 years of collaboration from the Diga Rhythm Band to Planet Drum, from the Thanksgiving dinner table with his wonderful family to Carnegie Hall. His wife, daughters and granddaughter were the lights of his life. Family was everything to Zakir.
His knowledge of both western and eastern world rhythms was unequaled. He had perfect pitch and total recall for the most complicated rhythmic cycles. His instruments were like the rains, dense sheets of sounds performed like blurs of lightning-fast fingers on small, tuned drums. With the skill of a surgeon, he weaved a rhythmic spell with each finger at the most rapid speeds that can be imaginable.
The world will never be the same without him.
Read Mickey Hart’s full statement below.
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