Zakir Hussain doesn't like being called Ustad. He prefers Zakir instead. The tabla maestro humility is one of the few things that he has drawn from his dad, the late Ustad Allarakha Khan.
Zakir Hussain doesn't like being called Ustad. He prefers Zakir instead. The tabla maestro humility is one of the few things that he has drawn from his dad, the late Ustad Allarakha Khan. He tells CS, "My father always told me, 'Never try to be a master. Be a good student and you'll do just fine'." Zakir, who is gearing up for the 10th Barsi concert to pay tribute to his Abbaji, talks about him: 
WHO: Zakir Hussain
WHAT: Goes down memory lane
WHERE: Hotel Orchid
Show time
I'm very happy to put this concert together. For a long time we were undecided whether to have the celebrations this year, as my mother passed away in October 2009. So it was at the eleventh hour that we took a call to go ahead with it. I'm especially looking forward to this concert because Billy Cobham, my favourite drummer and friend of 30 years, is going to be a part of it. I'll also be collaborating with Taksim Trio, a Turkish band. This concert isn't a celebration of my dad's life, but is a kind of metaphor to celebrate what my father stood for.u00a0
Daddy cool
I shared many layers of relationship with my dad. I was a baby in his arms, his student, his apprentice, colleague and then a friend. It is truly rare to experience such a deep bond with one's father. My dad didn't tell me how to treat people or how to approach situations. But the one thing that he did teach me was to be a student for life. I can't help recalling a story that I love. Someone once went to a musician and said, 'You played great, maestro!' The musician replied, 'I didn't play good enough to quit.' I feel that if you start thinking that you're the best ever, it is time for you to hang up your boots.u00a0
Just beat it
As a young kid, I was in such a hurry to perform that I didn't realise the enormity of what being an artist entails. Since I was the only member in the family who could speak English, I would read all my dad's letters. If there were invitations for him to perform, I would reply back saying that Allarakha wouldn't be free, but his son would be. I never gave out my age to them. I would collect money from my friends, book my ticket and take off without intimating my parents. My mother would be frantic. That's how I started touring as a 12-year-old kid. It was only because of my father's goodwill with other musicians that I didn't get into trouble.
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