Following the demise of legendary Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain on 15 December 2024, a video (here, here & here) of a musical performance is widely shared on social media. The accompanying post claims that the video features the late Zakir Hussain playing the tabla for the Pakistani singer late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Let’s verify the authenticity of this claim.
Claim: Video featuring Zakir Hussain playing the tabla for Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Fact: The video features a live performance by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Tari Khan (also known as Abdul Sattar Khan), a renowned Pakistani tabla player. Reportedly, the video is from an event held in Washington, USA, during 1992–94. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
A reverse image search of the viral video led us to the extended colour version (here & here) of the same video, uploaded on the YouTube channels ‘Yogesh Jagdeo’ and ‘The Mr Singhh’ in 2011. The description mentions that the video features a live performance by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Ustad Tari Khan (also known as Abdul Sattar Khan), a renowned Pakistani tabla player. In this video, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan can be seen introducing Abdul Sattar Khan before the performance begins.
Moreover, a blog showcasing the works of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan states that this performance was one of the jugalbandis between Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Tari Khan, held in Washington, USA, during 1992–94.
This clip was also featured in an interview with Ustad Tari Khan, where he discusses his collaboration with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. A comparison of the tabla player in the viral video with that of Ustad Tari Khan and Zakir Hussain can be seen below.
Additionally, videos of Zakir Hussain and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s performance at an event in Gwalior in 1997 can be seen here and here.
To sum it up, the viral video features Pakistani tabla player Ustad Tari Khan, not Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain.
