Ustad Zakir Hussain, tabla legend, face of Taj Mahal Tea, no more

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, 73, passed away in a U.S. hospital due to heart issues. Hussain, also known as Ustaad, had a remarkable career spanning six decades. His band Shakti won a Grammy earlier this year. Hussain has also recieved four other Grammy Awards earlier in his career. 

Born on March 9, 1951, Hussain is also the son of legendary tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha, India's best-known tabla player of his generation, who often accompanied sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar on stage. Hussain is one of India's most celebrated classical musicians. He received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. 

The musician worked with several renowned international and Indian artists. However, his 1973 musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH 'Vikku' Vinayakram brought together Indian classical and elements of jazz in a fusion hitherto unknown. Furthermore, his collaborations with western artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, and George Harrison brought Indian classical music to an international audience. 

Wah Ustad Wah!

However, Ustad became a household name in 1988 as the face of the Taj Mahal Tea brand. The TV commercial now regarded as a classic, showed Hussain immersed in his tabla riyaaz, against the Taj Mahal only to later sip on the tea as a voiceover praises his craft and says, "Wah ustad, wah!" to which the maestro responds "Arre huzoor, wah Taj boliye!"

The ad remains etched in people's memories after all these years. The commercial became a cultural phenomenon, embedding itself in the collective memory of viewers and establishing Hussain as a household name as well as the brand ambassador for the Taj Mahal Tea. 

The brand later released several adaptations of the 'Wah Taj' campaign featuring personalities like Aditya Kalyanpur and Alisha Chinai.