Article Contributed by Gratefulweb
Published on 2026-02-19
Photo: Courtesy of World Music Institute
Some celebrations feel less like a concert announcement and more like a gathering of the tribe—where the point isn’t just what happens on stage, but what the music has meant to all of us who’ve been changed by it. On Friday, March 6, 2026, Carnegie Hall will host Zakir Hussain Eternal: Celebrating 75 Years of Genius, an evening presented by the Zakir Hussain Institute of Music and World Music Institute, honoring the legendary tabla virtuoso, composer, and cultural ambassador whose artistry bridged traditions and reimagined contemporary music.
On the eve of what would have been his 75th birthday, an ensemble of Zakir’s closest friends and collaborators—including Mickey Hart—will gather for a luminous celebration of cross-cultural harmony, timeless creativity, and the universal language of rhythm, joy, and genius. The bill reads like a once-in-a-lifetime convergence: Charles Lloyd, Mickey Hart, Edgar Meyer, Vijay Iyer, V. Selvaganesh, Eric Harland, Fazal Qureshi, Taufiq Qureshi, Gerald Clayton, Harish Raghavan, Jayanthi Kumaresh, Kala Ramnath, Marcus Gilmore, Marvin Sewell, Zakir’s tabla students, and special guests.
For Deadheads, Hart and Hussain’s shared story is one of the great intersections—where the “one beat” idea becomes a living, breathing collaboration across continents. One of the night’s most meaningful moments promises to be a rare live performance of “Sweet Sixteen,” a Diga Rhythm Band composition performed by Zakir’s students. The Diga Rhythm Band was formed in 1975 as Mickey and Zakir’s first live performance ensemble, combining global instrumentation, a collection of Zakir’s tabla students, and Mickey’s backbeat into something singular—part ritual, part dancefloor, part devotional thunder.
That’s the magic of Zakir’s legacy: it lives simultaneously in tradition and in motion. He could speak the deepest language of Hindustani classical music and, with the same hands and the same heart, open doors into jazz, folk, rock, and the wide world beyond categories. This Carnegie Hall gathering isn’t simply about looking back—it’s about witnessing how far his rhythm travels, and how many communities it still gathers into one room.
In the end, “Zakir Hussain Eternal” feels like exactly what the title promises: a celebration not just of an artist, but of a force—of the way rhythm can be a bridge, a handshake, a grin, a prayer, and a home. We’ll be thinking about the students on that stage, carrying the storm forward, and the friends beside them, reminding us that the beat never really leaves—it just changes hands.
EVENT DETAILS
Zakir Hussain Eternal: Celebrating 75 Years of Genius
Friday, March 6, 2026
Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage) — New York, NY
Show: 8:00pm
Tickets: Carnegie Hall event page | World Music Institute event page
