Berklee India Exchange Presents Zakir Hussain

Berklee will present an honorary doctorate to world-renowned tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain at an historic concert celebrating his life and music on Friday, November 22, at 7:30 p.m., at Harvard Business School’s Klarman Hall in Allston, Massachusetts. 

John McLaughlin, guitarist, composer, and a friend of Hussain, will participate in the event honoring his longtime collaborator. Hussain’s visit to the college is part of a five-day residency beginning Monday, November 18, in which he will present a master class and record a music video with the Berklee Indian Ensemble.

“This is my first doctorate and I think you have to get to a certain age where you qualify for something like this: your ‘retiring age’,” said Hussain. "It isn’t possible for me to even consider that I’m deserving of this honor, the reason being because we are born being students and we will die being the same. There isn’t any point in trying to be a master; there’s never an end; you can never reach your goal. You’re always trying to take another step forward and for me to reach a point where I deserve accolades of the highest honor is not something I’m highly convinced of.”

“Ustad Zakir Hussain is a living legend and witnessing him receive an honorary doctorate from Berklee is a dream come true. He is a trailblazer who has made Indian classical music 'cool.'”

—Clint Valladares, Berklee India Exchange

The Grammy Award–winning artist is being honored for his contributions to global musical culture. “It definitely is a pat on the back from my peers, colleagues, and elders recognizing a spark in me. I hope I’ll be able to live up to the confidence they’ve shown in my ability, whether it’s a doctorate or a 'well done' from a teacher,” Hussain added. 

The evening’s concert, produced by the Berklee India Exchange—a Berklee institute launched in 2013 to establish a platform for cultural conversation about Indian music through artist residencies, musical collaborations, and performances—will feature Hussain as well as an international cast of students and faculty members performing reinterpretations of his compositions and original tributes. 

“Ustad Zakir Hussain is a living legend and witnessing him receive an honorary doctorate from Berklee is a dream come true. He is a trailblazer who has made Indian classical music 'cool,'” said Clint Valladares, managing director of the Berklee India Exchange. “Hussain's fearless, innovative approach to diverse musical styles will inspire young musicians for generations to come.”

About Zakir Hussain

Under the tutelage of his father and teacher, Ustad Allarakha, Hussain was inclined towards tabla from a very young age. He began touring by the age of 12, and together, he and his father elevated the status of the Indian percussion instrument across the globe.

Widely considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement, Hussain’s contribution has been unique both as a performer and composer, with almost 150 albums to his credit and numerous collaborations with artists such as George Harrison, Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea, Van Morrison, and Béla Fleck, as well as choreographers Mark Morris and Rennie Harris. 

A frequent collaborator with English guitarist John McLaughlin, the two, along with Indian violin player L. Shankar and percussionist T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram, founded Shakti in 1974, an acoustic fusion band which combined Indian music with elements of jazz. Hussain’s most recent projects include a trio album with bassist Dave Holland and saxophonist Chris Potter, Good Hope, released on October 11, and a guest feature on McLaughlin’s upcoming sixth album, Is That So?, with Shankar Mahadevan, one of India’s most prolific vocalists and composers.

For ticket prices, please visit zakirberklee.eventbrite.com.