A maestro par excellence delves into new territory with retreat.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Indian tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain will be touring North America in March and April with his Masters of Percussion troupe, and has a few surprises in store for audiences this time around.
Hussain and the Masters of Percussion – which is comprised of Selvaganesh Vinayakram (Kanjira and Ghatam), Niladri Kumar (Sitar), Dilshad Khan, (Sarangi), Deepak Bhatt (Dhol), and  Vijay Chavan (Dholki) – will be making stops all over the US, in cities from Princeton, New Jersey all the way to Portland, Oregon.
In four select cities – Houston, Texas; Berkeley, California; Durham, North Carolina; and New York City – the troupe will be joined by Kathak dancer Antonia Minnecola and, in New York City only, vocalist Padmashri Hariharan.
Also, for the first time ever, a western percussionist will be joining Hussain on his tour of the US: Steve Smith, a drummer who is alumnus of the Berkley College of Music. He has worked with recording artists like Mariah Carey and Bryan Adams, and has studied Indian percussion. Smith was personally selected by Hussain to join him and the Masters of Percussion for this special tour.
“Since 1996, [Hussain] has taken the cream of India’s percussionists (along with one or two melody players) around the U.S. and world,†say the tour’s press notes. “Hussain is, quite simply, one of the most remarkable musicians on the planet. The preeminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time, he delivers brilliant performances that have established him as a national treasure in his native India and one of the world’s most esteemed and influential musicians.â€
In addition to the tour, Hussain will also be hosting a retreat for the first time in his career. The retreat, entitled “The Path of Rhythm,†will be held at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York from July 14-18.
“Chants, meditation, mantras, worshipping through rhythm – it’s all connected.  Our days will be full of education, self-discovery, meditation…and lots and lots of entertainment,â€Â Hussain said in a statement.  “Ecstasy [is] part of this path, too!â€
Finally, on March 1, Hussain will release his first-ever DVD, entitled Zakir Hussain/The SF Jazz Sessions/March 2013. The DVD is a compilation of his performances during the San Francisco Jazz Festival, during which he collaborated with drummers from all across the world — Giovanni Hidalgo, Latin; Eric Harland, jazz; Steve Smith, rock and roll – and Indian artists like Rakesh Chaurasia, Niladri Kumar, and Ganesh.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com