Giant Internet search engine Google, on Tuesday, celebrated the 95th birth anniversary of Indian tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha with a doodle dedicated to him.
The Google doodle has Alla Rakha playing tabla with the two instruments representing the letter ‘o’ in Google’s logo. All the letters of the word Google have been given a very circular and rounded shape except for the letter ‘l’.
He was born on April 29, 1919 in Jammu. His full name is Allarakha Qureshi Khansaheb. He was a frequently accompanied Ravi Shankar. According to Wikipedia, Alla Rakha became fascinated with the sound and rhythm of the tabla at the age of 12, while staying with his uncle in Gurdaspur. Finding little chances for grooming and appreciation, the determined Alla Rakha ran away from home, became a disciple of and began studying tabla with Mian Kader Baksh of the Punjab gharana.
He composed music for a couple of Hindi films from 1943-48.
Ustad Alla was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982. He founded the Alla Rakha Institute of Music in Bombay in 1985. His three sons – Zakir Hussain, Fazal Qureshi, and Taufiq Qureshi – are also respected tabla players.
Ustad Rakha died on February 3, 2000 in Mumbai following a heart attack.
0 Comments