Page 16 - Synergy 17-18
P. 16

“Don’t  become  a  Xerox  copy…become  your  own

                                                                                                                                   hard copy”

                                                                                                                                         he expression from quintessentially one of the
                                                                                                                                         greatest and  finest  tabla players  in  the world
                                                                                                                                  Tleft everyone in a state of awe and admiration.
                                                                                                                                   The message itself clearly gave an answer as why
                                                                                                                                   Ustad Zakir Hussain is regarded as the poster boy of
                                                                                                                                   Indian classical music. The eloquence and gratitude
                                                                                                                                   with which he spoke caught the attention of the
                                                                                                                                   corner most students seated in the auditorium. The
                                                                                                                                   jam packed auditorium of Guru Nanak College got to
                                                                                                                                   witness the sheer class of the master.
                                                                                                                                   The mood in the entire college was jovial and
                                                                                                                                   excited on the morning of 15th December, 2017 as
                                                                                                                                   the footsteps of Ustad Zakir Hussain were about to
                                                                                                                                   fall in the college premises. There was a sense of
                                                                                                                                   eagerness as everyone was desperate to listen to
                                                                                                                                   those melodious beats and rhythms resonating from
                                                                                                                                   his tabla. The seats had been occupied way before the



                                                                                                                                                                                     scheduled commencement of the program as nobody
                                                                                                                                                                                     wanted to rue the lost opportunity later.
                                                                                                                                                                                     The dream finally came true when the tabla maestro
                                                                                                                                                                                     stepped inside the auditorium greeted by a standing
                                                                                                                                                                                     ovation and huge round of applause by the audience
                                                                                                                                                                                     gathered. It was a surreal feeling to have the Padma
                                                                                                                                                                                     Bhushan, Padma Shree, Kalidasasamman and the
                                                                                                                                                                                     recipient of dozens of such awards to be standing live
                                                                                                                                                                                     in front of oureyes. Besides his apt and mastery in tabla
                                                                                                                                                                                     field, it was enriching to see Zakir Hussain ji sharing
                                                                                                                                                                                     with the students his journey of life, his perspectives
                                                                                                                                                                                     about it and how right from an early age he devoted
                                                                                                                                                                                     his time towards the nuances of learning tabla without
                                                                                                                                                                                     compromising on his regular curriculum. He asked the
                                                                                                                                                                                     students to enjoy the journey of life while achieving
                                                                                                                                                                                     one’s goals and to always push oneself to strive for
                                                                                                                                                                                     better and better.
                                                                                                                                                                                     After a while he demonstrated a few glimpses of his
                                                                                                                                                                                     greatness playing various tunes and rhythms which
                                                                                                                                                                                     received huge cheers from everyone. The finesse with
                                                                                                                                                                                     which he played tabla;at times non-stop for a couple
                                                                                                                                                                                     of minutes without a single pause got everyone out of
                                                                                                                                                                                     their seats mesmerized and gasping for breath.
                                                                                                                                                                                     The program concluded with Zakir Hussain ji obliging
                                                                                                                                                                                     for photograph with students and teachers. It was once
                                                                                                                                                                                     in  a  life  time  experience  that  the  students  will  keep
                                                                                                                                                                                     reminiscing throughout their life time.




        16 | SYNERGY 17-18 |                                        GURU NANAK COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE & COMMERCE                                                GURU NANAK COLLEGE OF ARTS, SCIENCE & COMMERCE                                        | SYNERGY 17-18 | 17
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