Ustad Zakir Hussain’s immense contribution to music will be celebrated across various events at the NCPA, beginning today. This evening has a special tribute concert titled ‘Forever Friends’ at the Jamshed Bhabha Theatre, featuring Hussain’s brother Taufiq Qureishi, Shakti band members Shankar Mahadevan, guitarist John McLaughlin, V Selvaganesh and Ganesh Rajagopalan, who will offer a musical tribute to Zakir Hussain, a day before his first death anniversary.
Present at the concert will be Hussain’s wife Italian – American Antonia Minnecola, their daughters Anisa and Isabella, family and friends and over 50 global artists.
In an exclusive interview, Antonia Minnecola pours her heart out about her husband Zakir Hussain, their family life, and his legacy.
Excerpts from the interview:
How did this tribute to Zakir Hussain take shape?
From all over the world it's been an incredible outpouring. From organizations that are saying we want to do a tribute, we’d like to be members out here. We'd like to have a concert for him every year. For many months, we had been planning and hoping this gathering would come to fruition, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who helped make it possible. Zakir’s relationship with John (McLaughlin) was truly special. He often said that although he played in many combinations, Shakti was Nirvana for him. This tribute feels special because of Zakir’s deep connections with the NCPA. Before he passed away, Zakir dreamed of establishing his own institute. We were able to make that a reality, even though the nonprofit status was finalized in March this year. Today, his vision, spirit, and devotion to nurturing young artists continue to guide us forward. I have probably thousands of hours that I've videotaped of Zakir teaching over the past three decades. There's a lot of work and archiving that needs to be done.
As a kathak dancer, teacher and also as his manager, what specific quality of Zakir's musicianship did you see in him?
His spontaneity being in the moment. He had a favorite saying, “practice a lot, learn a lot, be a student, be a student, be a student. And then when you get on stage, forget everything you know and be there”.
Taufiq Qureshi & Antonia Minnecola | Pic credit: NCPA
What is the fondest travel memory you have with Zakir?
Oh my god, so many. In May 2023, he was honored at the Oxford University. When we were there he said to me, you've always wanted to go to Scotland and I said yes. Since I was a girl, I wanted to go to Scotland. I had some fascination with Scotland but I never got there. So we just headed out there. It was so much fun because it’s like nature on steroids in Scotland. We went to the Isle of Skye, went hiking up on those cliffs. We practically got blown away. We were laughing and really enjoying ourselves. We ate great food and stayed at those little hotels. It was a lovely little trip. I could go on and on (smiles).
How was Zakir as a family man when not performing?
He was very much a family person. He loved his family. He came from a close knit family. His father was his guru. He was very close to his mother. Being the eldest son, his mother was very dear to him because he gave her a lot of support when Ambaji passed away. He’d always say before he would leave, “I don't want to go”. And yet he loved to tour. He loved his music and he knew he had to. It was never easy. He was a relentless tourer as you know.
Pic credit: Verus Ferreira
Did Zakir have any hobbies besides music?
Zakir was a sports fanatic. He was hired by Star TV to go to Singapore and give commentary on cricket. I have his phone now in my purse. I got the courage to open his phone after a few months and it beeps ever so often. And you know what those beeps are? Cricket scores. In California we have a favorite basketball team. He wanted to go to the games, so we'd go to the stadiums, we'd go to the arenas and watch. He loved to do that. He liked to go out in nature. We'd go hiking. When we had a dog, he loved to take the dog for a walk or play with the dog, play ball with the dog. He was a percussionist, but he'd love to sit at the piano and bang out a tune. Infact he had a funny old two-string guitar that he would play (laughs). I bought him a beautiful guitar about seven years or eight years ago, but that beautiful guitar (just) sits there. (laughs) He liked to play that one with the two strings (laughs). He was an incredible singer, he loved to sing.
Has your children Anisa and Isabella taken up to playing the tabla or any other instrument?
They both studied tabla with him, so they know. They both studied piano and they can play a bit. Isabella is a trained dancer and got her degree in dance as well. She's my younger daughter, and she's coming for the tribute show too. Zara, (Anisa’s daughter) our granddaughter had already started to learn from Zakir. I have a photograph where Zakir came back from tour and she made with her toys, a kind of a tabla tarang. It wasn't with a tabla, but with her toys. I have photographs that he took of her playing with all these little toys, more like a tarang, but not with water. He was encouraging her and he would teach her things. I feel sad for her that she had him for just nine years and now she's missing out. Anisa being a filmmaker, Zakir relied on her. Even the day he was taken away by ambulance, he was preparing to do a little video shoot. She was coming over to do it. He had that ring light all set up and and then he called me and he said, “I'm not feeling well” and told me to call 911. He said that very day, Mujeeb Dadarkar had called and said they're giving him (Zakir) an award and so we need to send a sound byte.
Pic credit: Verus Ferreira
How was Zakir as a person when at home?
When he came home, he just loved to be home. I'd say, what am I cooking (today)? And he'd be like, no, let's go out. He loved to go out to eat. He was such a foodie. He also loved films.
So talking about food, what was his favorite dish which you used to prepare for him?
Dal bhat. I'm telling you, he loved my dal. I'd make it all different, different ways and styles for him. He had become in the last maybe 15 years an excellent cook. He made the best chicken (dishes) which were absolutely delicious. So I’d tell him, you make it, because you make it better. I followed Abbaji's way. He also had some Bengali friends that gave him all these spices, so it added a little different flavor, but I liked it. Everybody liked it.
Did he love your Italian food too?
He loved my Italian. He loved pasta, although he didn't like pizza so much. I think due to the combination of the gluten and the tomato, is what he didn't like so much, but with pasta, somehow it was okay. So I would make different kinds of pasta pesto, for instance. People think that Italian food is pasta and pizza and a lot of tomato sauce, but in fact, we have a very healthful soup menu, vegetable menu and salads as well. Zakir liked that very much and he loved soup very much, that was his favorite lunch.
Zakir fans are going to miss him. What do you think fans of his should remember him for?
Zakir was a real believer in human potential. He really believed that. I think what he would say was, “be a student, be a good student and whatever it is that you're doing, believe that you can grow. Don't call me a master because that means you already put me in a box that I've already reached. No, I want to keep going. That horizon is there. But you work towards it and you can keep working towards it”. Zakir believed in human potential. He didn't like anyone to make themselves small or sell themselves short. He really did.
Did he relate a lot to your family too?
My mother lived in New York and he was very attached to her. I can't believe it, but they would gang up on me. They would. You know, it'd be like, what's Tony (Antonia) doing? Tony does this. Do you notice that she does that? It was fun, because Zakir had a wicked sense of humor. He was very extremely mischievous. He would never want to be serious. If you wanted to talk about anything serious, he'd make some quip and say it.
John McLaughlin | Pic credit: Verus Ferreira
John McLaughlin on Zakir Hussain:
“If I start talking about Zakir I wouldn’t know where to stop. There is a lifetime of memories, music, and gratitude. We became friends back in 1969, and from that moment on, he became a part of my life. I wouldn’t be who I am today without him. You cannot describe his talent. You cannot describe Ustad, he was beyond words.”
