Ustad Alla Rakha (1919-2000)

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Profile

Ustad Allarakha Khan was born in 1919 in a village near Jammu, in Kashmir, and was the eldest of seven brothers in a family of farmers and soldiers.

The family later moved to Lahore where he trained in the tabla as well as in Indian classical vocals.

He worked in both radio and in the film industry and later set up a music institute in Bombay, where he often taught.

He once said in an interview that when he played outside India, his aim was to teach the Western world about the beauty of Indian music.

When asked to say a few words at his 80th birthday celebrations, he played the tabla instead.

"This is the language I know," he told the audience.

Discography

In alphabetical order of the title
 

Title	Nature	Music/recording	Contents	Label	Other Artists	Year
Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain Drums of India	Tabla		Taal - Soolfakhta, Chaartaal Ki Sawari, Tritaal, Ektaal	EMI India	Tabla Zakir Hussain
Ecstacy	Tabla		Tabla Recital With Commentary & Demonstration. Tabla Recital, Tabla Solo Recital.	EMI India	Zakir Hussain, Tabla; Iqbal Ahmed, Sarangi; Nasir Qadri, Harmonium; Ray Spegel, Tanpura
Maestros Choice	Tabla		Talas Matta, Jai, Pashto, Jugalbundi	Music Today	Z. Hussain, Tabla; Sultan Khan, Sarangi
Memorable Tabla Duet	Tabla		Teental: Live at Stuttgart '88	CHHA	Lahra: Ustad Sultan Khan	1988
Rhythm Of Indian Drums	Tabla		Vadya Kacheri, Mridangam & Ganjira duet, Jugal Bandi of Pakhawaj & Tabla	Music India	Zakir Hussain & others
Taaleem	Tabla		Jaitaal & Teentaal	Ninaad	With Fazal Qureshi, Tabla. Sultan Khan, Sarangi
Tabla Duet- Son & Father	Tabla		Unique Tradition- Rare Combination. Dhamar, Ektaal, Sooltaal, Dhun	CHHA	Lahra: Ustad Sultan Khan
Tabla Duo	Tabla		Zakir Hussain: Tabla Solo in Jhaptaal; Alla Rakha: Rupak Taal; Duet: Teentaal & Rupak Taal	Musenalp	Zakir Hussain, tabla; Anirudh Shastry, Harmonium
Tabla Tradition	Tabla		Tintaal Vilambit Matta Taal, Punjabi Dhamar Teentaal, Drut Teentaal	EMI India	Zakir Hussain, Tabla; Sultan Khan, Sarangi; Shaukat Hussain, Harmonium
The Basle Concert - Tabla Duo	Tabla			Musenalp	Zakir Hussain, Tabla; Sultan Khan, Sarangi
The Family Tree	Tabla		Tabla - Teentaal Peshkaar, Tabla Teentaal Qaida, Padhant, Gat, Toda, Chakradhar & Rela	BMG Crescendo	Zakir Hussain & Fasal Qureshi, Tabla; Sultan Khan, sarangi
The Multifaceted Genius of Ustad Alla Rakha	Tabla		80th Aniversary Commemorative Double CD Pack Includes, Tabla, Film Music and Classical Vocal also features Zakir Hussain / Teentaal, Ektaal, Surphatka Taal, Music from Films, Ma Bap, Bewafa (2 CD set)	EMI India	Zakir Hussain
Together	Tabla		Jugalbandi-Taal: Chartaal-ki-Sawari ( 11 Matras); Jugalbandi-Taal: Teentaal (16 Matras); Ustad Alla Rakha -Solo: Taal Rupak (7 Matras);	OMI Music	Zakir Hussain ; Lahra: Ustad Sultan Khan
Ultimate in Taal	Tabla		Tin Taal & Jap Taal, Tabla Solo	Music India
Ultimate in Taal Vidya	Tabla		Solo Masterpieces in Teentaal & Jhaptaal	OMI Music	Sultan Khan, Sarangi
Ustad Alla Rakha & Zakir Hussain	Tabla		Tabla Duet in Teental	Moment	Lehara- Ramesh Misra

Links

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• Zakir Hussain's Moment Records
• A tribute by Tabla.com
• Alla Rakha was the Einstein of Rhythm