Tabla maestro Ustad Tari mesmerises Islooites

Powerful beats produced by Ustad Abdul Sattar Tari from his small pair of tablas cast a trance-like spell on the audience at the auditorium of the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) on Wednesday evening.

The maestro, who performed alongside greats such as Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Pandit Jasraj, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Roshan Ara Begum, in his prime showed that not only did his hands have complete command over the stretched top of tablas but his vocal range had not deserted him as well.

Hailing from the Punjab Gharana of tabla players and a disciple of Ustad Shaukat Hussain Khan, Ustad Tari was supposed to be the one receiving a tribute as part of the ‘Saaz Samandar’ event on Wednesday evening. However, PNCA Director-General Dr Fouzia Saeed made a special request for the great maestro to show those in the crowd just why he was so revered across much of South Asia.

The audience was left completely spellbound by his performance. After showcasing his skills on the tabla, he sang various ghazals from his canon of work. Ustad Tari had been trained to sing ghazals by the king himself, Mehdi Hassan.

Dr Saeed later remarked that Ustaat Tari is the pride of Pakistan and that PNCA - being the premier council for arts in the country - is committed to promoting and preserving the works of such great artists.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 5^th, 2020.