Search - Taufiq :: Taalisma

Taufiq is the youngest son of the legendary tabla maestro, the late Ustad Allahrakha Khan and brother of the world famous percussionist Ustad Zakir Hussain. In the midst of this rich heritage it is no surprise then that Taufiq has always drawn inspiration from his father who was also his guru. His mastery over the percussion could be traced to a certain curiosity, interest and then the exposure he received as a result of Zakir's fusion experiments with bands like Shanti, Diga, Shakti and Rhythm Experience. A dedicated self-learner, Taufiq soon discovered his greatest asset, `a feel for the world of sound' with all it's intricate nuances. He owes the development of this faculty to none other than his brother Zakir and his exposure to the world of music in an international context. It is this versatility and mastery that makes him the most sought-after rhythm programmer and percussionist in the music industry today. Taufiq has accompanied Ustad Sultan Khan, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pandit Brijbhusan Kabra and others on the tabla. He still loves playing the tabla especially as an accompaniment to "Geets and Bhajans". He has performed as a percussionist with many luminaries including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Jeremy Spencer, Louis Banks, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Viku Vinayakaram and Dinshaw Sanjana amongst others. Taufiq is also a regular on the Bollywood music circuit as well as having performed for the old time greats including Salil Choudhary and Vanraj Bhatia. It is during such assignments that his skill in rhythm programming as well as his dexterity as an ace percussionist is called on. Taufiq's love for composing has prompted him to team up with others, the most notable being his compositions with his close friend Piyush Kanolia in the Mumbai theatre circuit. Among the many memorable compositions of the duo for the Mumbai theatre circuit some, which stand out, include scores for famous plays like "Mahatma v/s Gandhi", Alyque Padamsee's "Begum Sumroo", "The Royal Hunt of the Sun" and "Eva Mumbaima Chal Jaiye". Taufiq's pet project has been the creation of his own world-music band "Surya" which features versatile vocalists Shankar Mahadevan, Fazal Qureshi, mridangist Sridhar Parthasarathy and others. Even Zakir Hussain and Vikku Vinayakram have performed as guests along with the group. "Surya" has been featured in the international production "First Summer" along with Swedish world music band, "Mynta" and has collaborated with India's premier rock band "Indus Creed". So while the world of music recordings is keeping him busy, Taufiq is consciously involving himself in a lot of stage shows to be in touch with the inspiring world of live-audience performances.