Zakir Hussain in Seattle!

Zakir Hussain - Tabla Master Class from STG Presents on Vimeo.

Yesterday evening, tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain lead an outstanding masterclass at the Moore Theatre with 15 local percussionists and drummers representing music traditions from all corners of the globe. Zakir broke down the complex Indian rhythmic system into sizeable chunks for participants, no doubt giving each musician a new perspective on their own rhythmic system. At the beginning of the masterclass, Zakir spoke about how he feels a special connection to Seattle, developed during his time as a Visiting Artist in the UW Ethnomusicology Program.

Local artists on stage included Jane Hall & Erik Brown from House of Tarab, Stan Shikuma and Lika Roberts from Seattle Kokon Taiko, Sinae Cheh on Korean janggu, Monica Rojas on cajon, Ernesto Pegiangco on congas, Chavdor Jirov on Macedonian tapan, African drummers Siya Manyakanaka-Kelley and Etienne Cakpo, and tabla players Manoj Biswas, Annie Penta, Anil Prasad, Ravi Albright, and Apurva Kansara.

In the audience observing were musicians from local Indian and South Asian arts organizations Pratidhwani, Ragamala, and the Anindo Chatterjee School of Tabla, and also students from the UW Ethnomusicology Program.

Thanks to all who were present, and our heartfelt thanks to Zakir Hussain for providing this unique and memorable educational experience.

Zakir Hussain performs with Masters of Percussion at The Moore Theatre tonight, Thursday, March 4th, 8pm. A few tickets will still be available for purchase at the door!