(Image source from: Google honours Ustad Alla Rakha})

Google on Tuesday honoured tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha by celebrating his 95th birthday. The internet search engine giant celebrated his birth anniversary with a doodle on its home page.

Popularly known as Abbaji, Ustad Alla is shown playing tabla with a smiling face on the Google home page. The two Os of Google's logo turn into a tabla in the home page.

Born as Qureshi Alla Rakha Khan on April 29, 1919 in Jammu's Phagwal, Alla Rakha made tabla popular worldwide. Besides being a great soloist, he was a perfect accompanist to Vilayat Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, Allauddin Khan, Vasant Rai and sitar player Ravi Shankar.

The Ustaad wanted to learn the tabla so he ran away from home at the young age of 12. He trained under Mian Kader Baksh of the Punjab gharana. The tabla maestro learnt voice and Raag Vidya under the guidance of Ashiq Ali Khan of the Patiala gharana.

Ustad Alla Rakha's career started in 1936 at the All India Radio in Lahore (currently in Pakistan). In 1938 he was transferred to Bombay (now Mumbai).

The Ustad composed music for Bollywood films under the name of AR Qureshi.

As an accompanist to Ravi Shankar he toured the world and performed Indian classical music to Western audiences at festivals like the Woodstock. He was instrumental in elevating the status of the table in the world of music.

The Indian government honoured Ustad Alla Rakha with the Padma Shri Award in 1977. Again in in 1982he was conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

Ustad Alla Rakha died on February 3, 2000 in Mumbai following a heart attack.

Zakir Hussain, Fazal Qureshi, and Taufiq Qureshi are his three sons who are well known tabla players.
 
(AW: Pratima Tigga)