Denise Nuttalla few were of Indian origin. Tor had been in the tabla fusion scene for
some time now. He had been a student of Zakirji’s in the early years
in California and was one of the original members of Zakirji’s per-
cussion ensemble, The Diga Rhythm Band. It seemed that in North
America, as I experienced in India, tabla culture was as much a com-
plex of stories as it was a complex of rhythms, bols, and social inter-
actions. There was one story in particular I heard Tor recount in var-
ious places. It was a story of a dear and close friend of his, Pete, who
had taken up tabla many years ago, around the time of Tor’s initia-
tion into the world of tabla. His skill was amazing, intense, beauti-
ful, and encouraging to Tor and to others.
I had heard of similar accounts about Pete from Zakirji’s youngest
brother, Fazal. Pete would travel to Mumbai to learn from Abbaji and
was in the house day after day practicing, reciting, and performing
compositions. Seeing this American fellow who held such a deep love
and passion for tabla caught Fazal’s attention. This, indeed, must be
something special if someone from North America traveled to live and
study with his father. Pete and Fazal would compete whenever they got
the chance to do so. Pete would begin practicing tabla before Fazal left
for school and would still be practicing when he arrived home later
in the day. Fazal stressed that his speed was always a little bit faster
than Pete’s, and this would make Pete practice even more. Unfortu-
nately, Pete’s tabla career was short-lived. He died in the mid- 1980 s.
Both Fazal’s and Tor’s deep friendship with Pete lives on through tell-
ing Pete’s story to the younger generation of tabla players.
When Zakirji entered the room, he took off his shoes by the door
and stopped to chat with the students before he proceeded to take
his place by the window. As usual, he wore a kurta-pajama. This one
was made of cotton dyed dark blue. Always he joked with us to help
us relax and get reacquainted. Because of his hectic performance and
recording schedule, Zakirji has decided to teach for only two months
a year. There is an expectation that serious students travel to India in
the winter months to attend concerts and be in the scene to digest and
observe as much as possible. In our conversations, Zakirji stressed
the necessity of watching and observing what other tabla players do
in performance. Learning to accompany others begins by sitting with