Salar System

TEXAS! Join us on October 1, 2026, at 7:00 PM CDT for a mesmerizing performance of “Murmurs in Time” by GRAMMY Award-winning Third Coast Percussion (Third Coast Percussion) 🎶 and tabla virtuoso Salar Nader (Salar Nader) 🥁, honoring the legacy of composer Zakir Hussain (Zakir Hussain) . This innovative work brilliantly merges the complexity of Hindustani classical music with the unique sounds of a percussion ensemble. 🎉 As Chicago’s first GRAMMY-winning percussion quartet, Third Coast Percussion continues to redefine classical music, showcasing their exceptional talent through collaborations with renowned artists and captivating audiences worldwide. 🌍

Don’t miss this unforgettable evening at Rudder Theater! 🎟️

From TCP

Ustad Zakir Hussain was one of the greatest performers of our time, and while his instrument was the tabla, time was his canvas, and he was able to find extraordinary beauty in the complexities of rhythm, as he does in this work he composed for tabla and percussion ensemble, Murmurs in Time.
In this first movement of the piece, Zakirji asked us to recite bols
—the syllables that represent different sounds on the tabla. He was kind and patient as he taught us...and he only made fun of our Chicago accent once
We will be forever grateful for the year we spent working with this absolutely extraordinary musician on this piece. His mind-blowing talent and musicality were matched only by his generosity as a collaborator and the infectious joy he brought to his work and to his life.
It’s an honor to share in performances of this piece with one of Zakirji’s disciples, our friend the extraordinarily talented Salar Nader
You can see a video of our complete performance of movement 1 of Murmurs in Time on Third Coast Percussion’s YouTube channel. We’ll be releasing the second movement soon as well.
Thank you for this piece, Zakirji, and for your endless inspiration. We miss you. ❤️

Audio by Colin Campbell
Video by NZ Media

In my life, I couldn’t ask for anything more from the Almighty than to have the greatest Guru and mentor in my lifetime: Ustad Zakir Hussain (Zakir Hussain). Many seek this blessing, but to truly have connection to him is destiny—Qismet. My journey began in Hamburg, Germany, but by the age of seven, I found my way to him in Berkeley, California.

I feel doubly blessed, not only for the most incredible guide but also for having the most supportive Guru brother, Rohan Bhogal (Rohan Bhogal). He has been my steadfast companion on this journey and truly stepped up during our Salar Nader TablaChella retreat this past summer.

Instagram reels allows us three minutes, so here’s a little snippet from one of our moments of homage and respect to our beloved teacher, Ustad Zakir Hussain.

The picture I’m sharing is a selfie I took just before we stepped on stage at the sold-out Masters of Percussion concert at Massey Hall in Toronto, alongside the MOP ensemble and our tabla fraternity.

My heartfelt gratitude to the incredible Sarangi Maestro, Sabir Khan Sabir Sultan Khan for holding down the Lehra.

These once-in-a-lifetime connections are destined.

Join us on October 1, 2026, at 7:00 PM CDT for a mesmerizing performance of “Murmurs in Time” by GRAMMY Award-winning Third Coast Percussion (Third Coast Percussion) 🎶 and tabla virtuoso Salar Nader (Salar Nader) 🥁, honoring the legacy of composer Zakir Hussain (Zakir Hussain) . This innovative work brilliantly merges the complexity of Hindustani classical music with the unique sounds of a percussion ensemble. 🎉 As Chicago’s first GRAMMY-winning percussion quartet, Third Coast Percussion continues to redefine classical music, showcasing their exceptional talent through collaborations with renowned artists and captivating audiences worldwide. 🌍

Don’t miss this unforgettable evening at Rudder Theater! 🎟️

From TCP

Ustad Zakir Hussain was one of the greatest performers of our time, and while his instrument was the tabla, time was his canvas, and he was able to find extraordinary beauty in the complexities of rhythm, as he does in this work he composed for tabla and percussion ensemble, Murmurs in Time.
In this first movement of the piece, Zakirji asked us to recite bols
—the syllables that represent different sounds on the tabla. He was kind and patient as he taught us...and he only made fun of our Chicago accent once
We will be forever grateful for the year we spent working with this absolutely extraordinary musician on this piece. His mind-blowing talent and musicality were matched only by his generosity as a collaborator and the infectious joy he brought to his work and to his life.
It’s an honor to share in performances of this piece with one of Zakirji’s disciples, our friend the extraordinarily talented Salar Nader
You can see a video of our complete performance of movement 1 of Murmurs in Time on Third Coast Percussion’s YouTube channel. We’ll be releasing the second movement soon as well.
Thank you for this piece, Zakirji, and for your endless inspiration. We miss you. ❤️

Audio by Colin Campbell
Video by NZ Media

It’s really important to me that the Afghan music project The Afghan Music Project sheds light on our classical and light classical traditions, which are treasures at risk of being lost. Unfortunately, only a few artists have managed to keep these traditions alive, and audience engagement has been shrinking.

This past Tuesday afternoon, we had a wonderful lecture demonstration in Professor Andy McGraw’s Anthropology of Music class. Both Najim Khan and I would like to thank all the students for their attentiveness and for asking such insightful questions.

As many of you know, I absolutely love visiting college and university campuses to share these forgotten art forms that represent the lands of my ancestors.

Next stop: Pomona College Pomona College ! I will be giving a demonstration on October 9, where I’ll delve into the rhythmic traditions of the Naqarra Khana.

Thanks again to Professor Andy McGraw and University of Richmond for the invitation and the opportunity to share our music with everyone!

VIRGINIA WE HAVE ARRIVED. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AT 7:30 ON THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND. CAMPUS DETAILS ARE IN ALL THE CAPTIONS AND THE PREVIOUS POSTS. WE HAD A LOVELY MASTER CLASS AND WE CAN’T WAIT TO PERFORM FOR YOU ALL.