Shabhaz Khan (Tabla)

Shahbaz Hussain is fast emerging as one as the most promising Tabla virtuosos of his generation.

Shahbaz Hussain began learning Tabla at the age of 5 under the watchful eye of his father, the late Ustad Mumtaz Hussain a prominent vocalist. He later went on to study with Tabla legends Ustad Faiyaz Khan from the Delhi Gharana (school), and the late Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan from the Punjab Gharana and finally the late Ustad Allah Rakha Khan.

He has played with nearly all the great master musicians of India and Pakistan. Some of the great musicians he has played with are Ustad Imrat Khan, Ustad Nishat Khan, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan to name only a few. He has played in some of the most prestigious venues and festivals around the world like the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, Lincoln Center in New York and the prestigious Royal Albert Hall to name but a few.

At the age of 24 he has achieved a tremendous amount of recognition, being an extremely versatile Tabla player, while on one hand holding all the imperative traditional skills, and on the other the ability to project those skills to more contemporary styles including jazz and even south Indian/north Indian. His solo performances have gained great recognition all over the world.

He thinks that in order for this music to flourish, it is imperative to teach the audience what this great music is about. The only effective way to do this is by propagating his music through workshops and lecture/demonstrations. He has given workshops in nearly all the academic establishments worldwide to great acclaim. He is currently in the process of making a “Tabla for beginners” video for all those people who wish to learn the Tabla. A book will accompany this video.

He has recorded numerous CD’s with world musicians and is also in the process of recording his debut Tabla solo album.