Hussain, ensemble enthrall audience

by SACHIN CHATTE
Posted on 2009-02-10
On the day he won his second Grammy award, Ustad Zakir Hussain performed at the Kala Academy, along with the crème de la crème of artists that included Shankar Mahadevan, Sivamani, Selvaganesh and U Srinivas. The enthusiasm for the concert was obvious from the fact that a ‘sold out’ board greeted music lovers and serpentine queues were formed long before the gates were open.
The who’s who of Goa was also present to witness this unique musical performance. The press though got a raw deal with photographers not being allowed inside and correspondents were granted entry only after the concert began and that too they were shunned in one corner with little or no space to stand. In fact, many members of the audience who bought the tickets were disgruntled and also had to face the same ordeal.
But for all those sitting comfortably, the music was a real treat, as one would expect. After they kicked off the concert in traditional style, U Srinivas on the mandolin and Sivamani on the percussions put up a brilliant act. The percussionist though had the audience amazed and amused with his solo performance – The former with his skills and the latter with the ‘instruments’ he used which included a water bottle (25 liter) and a traveling suitcase.
In fact, all the solo performances were fabulous. V Selvaganesh has been a worthy successor to his father, the legendary ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram. Shankar Mahadevan may be popular as a Bollywood singer but he has proved his mettle as a classical singer and is a worthy companion to such legends. U Srinivas’ act on the electric mandolin is simply unbelievable. As for Ustad Zakir Hussain, adjectives fail to describe this gentleman. The sounds that emanate from his tabla are boggling and the speed and his dexterity makes one wonder if there are more than ten fingers on his hands. The finale of the concert was a splendid jugalbandi with all the artists performing in tandem.