Tabla Legend Zakir Hussain Nominated for Grammy

Another Indian is going to the Grammys. After A.R. Rahman was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards last week for Slumdog Millionaire - Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media and Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media (see article Slumdog Millionaire Now at the Grammys), now it is the turn of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. He has been nominated for the Best Classical Crossover album category. This is for his album The Melody of Rhythm, which also includes the likes of Leonard Slatkin, Bela Fleck, and Edgar Meyer.

Zakir Hussain is a superstar as far as the tabla is concerned. He has performed worldwide, and has played along with all the greats in the music industry. He produced an album with Mickey Hart called Planet Drum in 1992, which went on to win a Grammy for the Best World Music Album. Earlier this year, Zakir Hussain won a Grammy in the category Contemporary World Music Album, for the album Global Drum Project, which was created with Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju, and Giovanni Hidalgo.

Hussain was born in Mumbai and is the son of the legendary tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha. Also, his 2 younger brothers, Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi are well-known percussionists. He was a child prodigy, and was already touring at the age of 12. He married Antonia Minnecola, who is also a Kathak dancer, teacher, and Hussain's manager. Also, Hussain was a visiting professor at the Stanford University.

The much awaited 52nd Grammy Awards will be held and presented in Los Angeles at the Staples Center on January 31, 2010.