Mian Shaukat Hussain

Shaukat Hussain Khan (1930 – 25 January 1996), commonly referred to as Miyan Shaukat Hussain, was a Pakistani tabla player who belonged to the Punjab gharana of tabla-playing music artists.

Early life He was born to a family of professional musicians in 1930 in Phagwara, Jalandhar, Punjab, British India. His father, Mian Maula Bakhsh, was a professional singer. But young Shaukat was drawn to percussion instruments from an early age. He began his career from All India Radio, Delhi in 1945. At this radio station, he was very much influenced by the performances of tabla maestros Ahmed Jan Thirakwa and Alla Rakha. His family migrated to Pakistan after its independence in 1947. In Pakistan, he was employed by Radio Pakistan, Lahore as a staff artist for 43 years.

Career He was a disciple of renowned tabla maestro Mian Qadir Baksh, founder of the Punjab gharana of tabla players who also was the teacher of many tabla players that later gained international recognition.

Mian Qadir Baksh was known throughout the world for his skill and mastery of tabla. After learning the art of tabla playing from Mian Qadir Baksh, Shaukat Hussain soon started gaining recognition in the music circles in Pakistan and was the music group accompanist of choice for some of Pakistan's classical music vocalists and instrumentalists including Salamat Ali Khan, Amanat Ali Khan-Bade Fateh Ali Khan (classical-music-singing-duo), Roshan Ara Begum, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and many others from the 1950s to the 1980s.

Death Mian Shaukat Hussain retired in 1992 and died 4 years later on 25 January 1996 of kidney failure. His on-stage tabla performances showed his high level of skills. According to a major Pakistani newspaper, Ustad Shaukat Hussain has been ranked amongst the finest tabla players of Pakistan.