Tabla master Zakir Hussain Passes Away at age 73.

Legendary Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain Passes Away at 73

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Pinky Deshmukh

Last Updated: December 16, 2024

Summary: The music community is mourning the passing of Zakir Hussain, a worldwide icon of Indian classical music.

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away in a San Francisco, California, hospital on Monday. He was 73 years old. According to a statement from his family, Zakir Hussain passed away due to complications brought on by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. After his condition worsened, he was sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) after spending two weeks already in the hospital.

Numerous music enthusiasts worldwide admire and honor the memory of the renowned tabla virtuoso, whose influence will endure for many decades.

He is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola, daughters Anisa Qureshi and her family, Isabella Qureshi, and her family, brothers Taufiq and Fazal Qureshi, and sister Khurshid Aulia.

His sister said, "He passed away very peacefully after the ventilation machine was switched off. This was 4 pm San Francisco time.”

The family statement reads, "He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come."

On Sunday, however, initial reports said that the 73-year-old artist had died. However, his publicist refuted these allegations, telling PTI that he was receiving medical care and "has not passed".

Throughout his six-decade career, Hussain collaborated with several well-known Indian and international musicians. Still, his 1973 project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH "Vikku" Vinayakram combined jazz and Indian classical music in a way that had never been done before.

His reputation as a global cultural ambassador was cemented by his innovative collaborations with international musicians Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, and George Harrison, which introduced Indian classical music to a worldwide audience.

In April 2009, four sold-out performances at Carnegie Hall's Artist Perspective series honored his contributions to the music industry.

He was honored with Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. Additionally, he has received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, which is a lifetime honor.

Throughout his stellar career, he achieved numerous other honors, including two Grammy Awards alongside Mickey Hart for Planet Drum, and three additional ones this March (2024), one with John McLaughlin and the band Shakti, plus two for his partnerships with Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia. He is the first Indian to receive three Grammys in one night.

In 1999, Hussain received the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the United States' most prestigious lifetime award for traditional artists. Subsequently, in 2017, he was recognized with SFJazz's Lifetime Achievement Award for his "extraordinary contribution to the music world."