Zakir Hussain & Rahul Sharma

The pre-eminent classical tabla virtuoso of the time, Zakir Hussain is appreciated both in the field of percussion and in the music world as an international phenomenon. A national treasure in his native India, Hussain is one of the world’s most esteemed and influential musicians, renowned for his genre-defying collaborations. Widely considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement, Hussain’s contribution has been unique, with many historic and groundbreaking collaborations including those with Shakti, Remember Shakti, Masters of Percussion, the Diga Rhythm Band, Planet Drum, Tabla Beat Science, Sangam with Charles Lloyd and Eric Harland, in trio with Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer and, most recently, with Herbie Hancock.

A Grammy Award winner, Hussain is the recipient of countless awards and honors, including Padma Bhushan, National Heritage Fellowship and Officier in France’s Order of Arts and Letters. In 2015, he was voted Best Percussionist by both the Downbeat Critics’ Poll and Modern Drummer’s Reader’s Poll.  

Santoor player Rahul Sharma has carved a niche for himself in the world of Indian classical and fusion world music with over 60 released albums over 15 years. Sharma learned music and the santoor from his father and guru, the legendary Pt. Shivkumar Sharma. Shivkumar Sharma was instrumental in bringing the little-known santoor out of the valleys of Kashmir and introducing it to the Indian classical music world.

$53–$69, CMA members $48–62