On Oct. 14, 2020, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain joined music journalist Andrew Gilbert via Zoom to discuss his pioneering cross-cultural collaborations.
Scion of North Indian music’s greatest percussion dynasty, Hussain moved from Mumbai to Marin County in the early 1970s. Within weeks he had started building a vast web of creative connections, encompassing jazz legends, Latin American percussion greats, rock stars, South Indian classical music virtuosos, traditional Celtic musicians, European classical music masters, and a Grateful Dead drummer. He’s earned similar renown as a composer, writing for Bollywood, British, and Hollywood films, orchestras, and various smaller ensembles. He has won dozens of awards and distinctions in India and the United States, including two Grammy Awards.