Google Doodle Celebrates 95th Birth Anniversary Of Ustad Alla Rakha

Once again after a long stretch of time, Internet search engine giant Google has come up with its periodical Doodles. This time around the doodle comes around to mark the 95th birth anniversary of Indian tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha.

However, the doodle is not an interactive one and it features the cartoon caricature of Ustad Alla Rakha playing a tabla. The Google doodle has Alla Rakha playing tabla with the two instruments representing the letter 'o' in Google's logo. All the letters of the word Google have been given a very circular and rounded shape except for the letter 'l'. He is also respectably called Abbaji. Ustad Alla Rakha was also honoured with the Padma Shri in 1977 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982.

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To talk briefly about the maestro, Ustad Alla Rakha was born as Allarakha Qureshi Khansaheb on April 29, 1919 in Phagwal, Jammu. At the age of 12, he left home to learn tabla and joined All India Radio, Lahore, in 1936. His full name is Allarakha Qureshi Khansaheb.

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He also accompanied Ravi Shankar number of times. Not only that but he has also accompanied other popular musicians like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Allauddin Khan, Vilayat Khan, Vasant Rai and Ali Akbar Khan. He also collaborated with jazz drummer Buddy Rich, on their 1968 album ''Rich à la Rakha.'' In 1943, he entered the film industry in erstwhile Bombay, composing music under the name AR Qureshi.

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