Very happy to finally catch up with Zakir Hussain in Southampton - a musician of legendary status who I first had recommended to me by a fellow passenger on a train journey in India (we watched videos of him online as we headed north from Delhi...). He lived up to the legend! Stunningly musical, but also very generous as a performer, collaborating so beautifully in the first half with sarangi player Sabir Khan, then in the second half welcoming jazz drummer Marcus Gilmore and Uzbek multi-instrumentalist Abbos Kosimov to the stage for an incredible high-energy workout full of humour and groove! Very self-effacing in receiving the applause too, he's standing to the side in this line-out as he motions his bandmates forward for the standing ovation (sorry out of focus shot!).
Amazing to be hearing live music again, in a new venue for me, and great view from the second row!! :)
Excellent seat! He was so happy and friendly during the WMI show. It’s nice they have the extra platform for the tabla, so they all end up sort of on the level. One track on Freegal is from a tabla collection with narration explaining in long form how he is the best.
Oh, the anticipation for you waiting to see him! No wonder you did the detour. Then just casually drop into the conversation - 'on a train journey in India'...;)