Mahindra Percussion Festival 2025 salutes tabla maestro Zakir Hussain

An illuminated portrait of the late tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain installed on stage at Mahindra Percussion Festival ‘25, in association with The Hindu, conveyed that the Indian music maestro will always be remembered.

A photo installation on the ground floor of the venue – the Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts – celebrated the extraordinary life and work of the Ustad. One of the most recognised names globally, the tabla legend clearly ruled minds and hearts at the festival.

Veteran voices

On the opening day of the festival, veteran voices like Aruna Sairam interpreted traditional songs in a new way, through her Thrillana Project. A dexterous yet soulful fusion take on thillanas by the likes of Lalgudi Jayaraman, their improvised transitions and marriage of styles evoked intrigue in the auditorium. Thrillana Project included instrumentalists Giridhar Udupa on ghatam, Jyotsana Srikanth on violin, B.C. Manjunath on mridanga, bassist Shalini Mohan, drummer Arun Kumar and keyboardist Sangeet Haldipur.

Sairam was followed by sitarist Ravi Chary and his project, Ravi Chary Crossing. Taking on a galloping pace to his performance, there was an intensity that conveyed the artist was powerful. Featuring songs from Chary’s 2012 album Crossing (which was launched by Zakir Hussain at the time), the sitarist was joined by drummer Gino Banks, bassist Sheldon Banks, tabla artist Satyajit Talwalkar and once again, Haldipur on keys. Songs like ‘Yogi’ held a special place, Indian classical strains meeting jazz, funk and rock.

Chary had said at the start of his concert, “My fusion world started with Trilok Gurtu ji.” Occasionally a one-man experimentalist and virtuoso act, Gurtu did have plenty of supporting instrumentalists for his set, proving why he belongs in another bracket when it comes to improvisation in across percussive music.

On Sunday

Sunday at Mahindra Percussion Festival will bring in fusion duo SNAX and Ranjit Barot and Roysten Abel’s BeatRoute, a theatrical, journeying performance.