Zakir Hussain

World

India-born Zakir Hussain, who was touring with his tabla by age 12, is always exploring new ways his classical acumen can be applied to world music. Witness his collaborations with Mickey Hart (Planet Drum) and John McLaughlan (Shakti). Hussain has been performing almost annually at the Bride since 1986. During a weeklong residency in '91, he jammed with drummers and dancers from a wide variety of cultures, Rennie Harris among them. Another residency two years later teamed Hussain with Lenny Seidman, world-music curator at the Painted Bride and an accomplished tabla player in his own right. It changed Seidman's musical life. "He convinced me to give up electronic music. I'd been doing that 15 years, but Zakir felt if I focused just on tabla I could become a decent player." With that advice, Hussain enriched Philly's world-music community; Seidman is now the respected intercultural composer for ensembles like Spoken Hand, Atzilut and Facing Mekka. And Hussain keeps coming back to the Bride, even though he fills venues with 10 times the seating in other cities. "The Bride is [his] second home," explains Seidman. "He knows the audience and they know him. When you are in a gigantic theater, you miss that connection." -- Mary Armstrong

Sun., May 16, 3 p.m. performance, $30 (6 p.m. show sold out); Mon., May 17, 7 p.m. workshop, $10, Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St., 215-925-9914.

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