Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain passes away, confirms family

New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS) Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain has passed away, confirmed his family on Monday. He was 73.

Hussain died at a hospital in San Francisco due to complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the family said in a statement.

Hussain, who is regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation, is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola and his daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.

Born on March 9, 1951, he is the son of legendary tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha.

“He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come,” the statement read.

In his six-decade career, the musician worked with several renowned international and Indian artists. In 1973 he worked on a musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L. Shankar, and percussionist T.H. ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram bringing together Indian classical and elements of jazz in a fusion hitherto unknown.

He collaborated with virtually all of India’s iconic performers, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma in his career. His groundbreaking work with Western musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, and George Harrison brought Indian classical music to an international audience.

Hussain has received four Grammy Awards in his career, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year.

The percussionist received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

In October, Hussain revealed he was spending the autumn season in the US. He took to his social media handle and shared a video in which he gave his followers a glimpse of the changing weather in the US. “Just sharing a wonder moment ..,” he captioned the post.

Messages of condolence poured in on social media as the news of Hussain’s demise spread.

–IANS

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