Zakir Hussain and his crew redefined the art of drumming, each delivering exhilarating performances as soloists and in the ensemble.

Selva Ganesh played the tiny kanjira, a tambour-like drum which proved capable of three or four well-defined layers of rhythm from one set of fingers.

Each specialist had solo spots in which they demonstrated the colours of their chosen drum, including Bhavani Shankar on pakhawaj and Vijay Chavan on dholki.

This rhythm-based evening was not devoid of melody or humour, with Hussain delivering several quotes (including a sizeable chunk of the William Tell overture) during his solos.

His tabla's range of expression included swooping glissandi and bass figures so expressive as to sound vocal at times.

He and tabla partner Fazal Qureshi's duelling episodes drove to ever-more thrilling climaxes, enhanced by the tuning of Hussain's and Qureshi's tablas to produce perfect cadences and semitonal resolutions.

Taufiq Qureshi was based behind a kit drum arrangement, his charismatic solos rousingly punctuated by ancient vocals.

The driving beats were embellished and underpinned with the beautiful tones of the sarangi played by Ustad Sultan Khan, one of the greatest contemporary performers on this expressive stringed instrument.

In bringing together these multi-talented performers, Hussain produced both a unique overview of the many variations to be found in Indian music and a magical performance.