Playback and ghazal singer Hariharan, an early purveyor of the Indian fusion scene, recently reunited with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, the percussionist most famously known as the main accompaniment for sitarist Ravi Shankar. The duo performed at the 2010 edition of the Delhi Fesitval in Purana Qila on February 6th. "It's been a decade since I performed with Zakir," Hariharan stated. "The last time we played together was for Hazir. I'm certain that even this time, it's going to be great."
Hariharan has been dipping into numerous styles for years. In 1994, his ghazal record Gulfam went double platinum and won the Diva Award for Best Album of the Year. This was around the time he began recording with AR Rahman, and was judged the best male playback singer in 1995.
Hussain is widely regarded as the world's premier tabla player, one that has broken boundaries for decades. The outspoken percussionist has performed alongside John McLaughlin, Bill Laswell, Mickey Hart, and Charles Lloyd, to name just a few of his dozens of cross-cultural projects. His father, Ustad Allah Rakha, was Ravi Shankar's longtime tabla player.
