Former ethnomusicology visiting artist Zakir Hussain plays at Moore Theater
By Nandini Daga The Daily - Apr 4, 2022
On March 26, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain held a concert at the Moore Theater in Seattle. The “Triveni Trio” of Hussain, Kala Ramnath, and Jayanthi Kumaresh captivated the audience with the tabla, violin, and veena, respectively.
The artists seamlessly wove together North Indian classical music (Hindustani) and South Indian classical music (Carnatic). The group, named after the mythological meeting place of India’s three sacred rivers, performed what is known as jugalbandi. Jugalbandi, meaning “entwined twins,” is a mostly improvisational form of music where two musicians with different instruments perform a duet, each playing a solo before returning to a base motif. It’s a friendly competition between the two, or, in this case, three musicians. They will attempt to playfully one-up each other, and often take inspiration from each other.
Watching the musicians go head-to-head and challenge each other, bringing out the best of their instruments, made for an incredible listening experience. They pushed each other to go faster, to play higher and harder notes, to hold complicated beats before eventually returning to the base motif. They passed the spotlight to each other effortlessly.
As for their instruments, the tabla is a pair of small drums used in Hindustani classical music, played using the hands. The veena is a stringed instrument used in Carnatic music with an elongated neck and two hollow gourds played by pressing down on the frets with one hand while the strings are plucked with the other. The violin is played in mostly the same manner as it is in Western classical music, but it is tuned lower and held more toward the front of the body.
As a violin player myself, I was amazed by the seamless melding of the Western instrument into the mix, as if it had been there forever. Indeed, the violin is nothing new — the instrument has been part of Indian music since the 1800s. It sounds a lot like the famous Indian nightingale Lata Mangeshkar — pure, sweet, but with an unmistakable backbone.
For the two hours that they performed, the trio had the entire theater’s attention, as if we were in a trance. Aside from thunderous applause after a particularly inspired moment, there was silence in the packed seats.
Hussain played for UW in 2017, where he was accompanied by violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan. He also played for the university in 1969 and 1970.
Hussain’s long career has brought him fame in both India and abroad. The son of famous tabla player Ustad Allarakha, Hussain has earned the Padma Bhushan (the third-highest civilian award in India)], the United States’ National Heritage Fellowship, Officier in Francés Order of Arts and Letters, as well as an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music.
While Hussain may be the most famous of the three, Ramnath and Kumaresh are both heavyweights in the Indian musical scene in their own right. Ramnath’s guru, or teacher, was the famous Pandit Jasraj, and she has been awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar, which is presented by India’s National Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama. It is the highest recognition a practicing artist can receive in India. Kumaresh has also won a multitude of awards, and is considered one of the preeminent veena players in the world.
If you’re interested in watching the performance, check out this recording of the Triveni Trio playing in Mumbai, or this jugalbandi from Kumaresh and Hussain.
Reach writer Nandini Daga at arts@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @nandini_daga1
