CAPA and Ohm Patel will present a tribute to the late tabla master Zakir Hussain, featuring tabla artist Yogesh Samsi and sitarist Anupama Bhagwat, at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.) on Friday, October 3, at 8 pm.

Hussain, who had a lengthy relationship with CAPA and performed in Columbus on numerous occasions, bringing his love of music and unique collaborations every time, passed away in December of 2024.

Tickets for A Tribute to Zakir Hussain featuring Yogesh Samsi and Anupama Bhagwat, which start at $34, go on sale at 10 am Friday, September 5, and may be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Center at the Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.), online at www.capa.com, and by phone at (614) 469-0939.

This concert celebrates everything Zakir Hussain stood for and represents what he did throughout his career. Zakir brought Indian music to the world stage in a very unique way. He made it his mission to bring up and coming virtuoso Indian musicians and exposed them to audiences around the world. He was able to share the music of India not only through his music but by also empowering young musicians who would bear the torch in passing this rich tradition to future generations. 

Yogesh Samsi is a renowned tabla player who is considered one of the best in the world, and he will be sharing the stage with a phenomenal younger sitar player in Anupama Bhagwat, who now lives in India but has roots in Dayton, Ohio.

Both musicians will share stories about their experiences with Zakir. Yogesh learned from Zakir’s father and was a student alongside Zakir. He has many stories to share and also can speak to the tabla repertoire that made Zakir so unique, while Anupama will be sharing her experiences of meeting Zakir on numerous occasions and how his music impacted her musical journey.

A unique tabla artist who has simultaneously scaled unprecedented heights of

achievement in solo performance, accompaniment, and pedagogy, Yogesh Samsi balances both tradition and innovation. His performances showcase mastery over a vast range of traditional content, more recently unearthing and sharing rare repertoire that was lost. At the same time, he brings fresh perspective to the canon by presenting new ideas that capture the philosophy and rhythmic thought processes of his Guru, Ustad Allah Rakha.

As an accompanist, Yogesh has provided sensitive and thoughtful tabla accompaniment for many leading vocalists and instrumentalists. His approach has been instilled by the close grooming under his father and stalwart vocalist, Pandit Dinkar Kaikini.

Anupama Bhagwat, sitar musician nonpareil, has carved a niche in Indian classical music with a versatile & eclectic style. Acclaimed world- wide with a repertoire of global performances since 1995, her sensitivity and erudition has taken her to the highest echelons of the modern genre. With her acclaimed mastery in the style, she is one of the foremost to have acquired the finesse and technical nuances of the gayaki style while bringing out its lyrical beauty and subtly nuanced style modelled on the human voice with emotive cadence of the sitar.

Anupama’s musical journey is deeply intertwined with her spiritual connection to the sitar. Gifted to her by her uncle at nine, she believes the instrument chose her. For her, the sitar is not just a tool for music but a soulful companion, guiding her through emotional serenity.

“I hold in deep reverence the memory of Zakir Hussain, whose warmth and encouragement always uplifted my music. His legacy continues to be a source of inspiration and strength,” Bhagwat said. “It is with great honor that I look forward to performing with Yogesh Samsi, one of the senior most tabla maestros of Indian classical music. It will be a memorable evening!”

The pre-eminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time, Zakir Hussain was appreciated as one of the world’s most esteemed and influential musicians, one whose mastery of his percussion instrument had taken it to a new level, transcending cultures and national borders.