New Delhi: Legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, who owned treble and time over the tabla and won multiple international awards, including four Grammys, died of chronic lung disease in San Francisco, his family confirmed Monday. He was 73.
A statement by the family read, “He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come.”
Son of tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha, Hussain is survived by his wife and kathak dancer Antonia Minnecola and his daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.
The family’s statement said Hussain was afflicted by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and had been in hospital for two weeks. He was shifted to intensive care after his condition deteriorated.
His sister Khurshid Aulia told news agency PTI: “He passed away very peacefully after the ventilation machine was switched off. This was 4 pm San Francisco time.”
The tabla player, percussionist, composer and actor stormed the domestic stage in his six-decade career and also left an indelible mark on world music, having worked with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, and George Harrison.
In 1973, his project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L. Shankar, and percussionist T.H. ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram brought together Indian classical and jazz in a path-breaking fusion.
Hussain became a household name in 1988 when he featured in a 33-second commercial as the face of the Taj Mahal tea brand. His masterful endorsement of the product with the words, “Arrey huzoor, wah Taj boliye”, have remained iconic.
Born on 9 March, 1951, Hussain started early—at the age of 7—and went on to play with Indian virtuosos such as Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Ravi Shankar and Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, among others.
He has also composed music for films, including international ones. Some of these include, The Perfect Murder, Thanduvitaen Ennai, Miss Beatty’s Children, Manto, Heat and Dust. He also had a few acting credits in his kitty, such as for Heat and Dust, and Monkey Man.
Hussian, who gave the tabla a whole new identity, was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.
Child prodigy
Hussain was born into a family of music and started early under the tutelage of his father and master tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha.
“The mindset as I was growing up tuned itself to the idea that music is music, it’s not Indian music or that music, so when I actually started working with musicians who were non-Indian it seemed like a natural handshake,” Hussain told PTI a year ago.
He performed his first concert at the age of 7 and began touring at 12. After completing his education in Mumbai, where he was born, he moved to the US in 1970.
In February, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards in February under categories “Best Global Music Album”, “Best Global Music Performance” and “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album”. His first Grammy win was in 2009.
Also Read: Zakir Hussain’s father introduced him to music as a newborn, reciting tabla rhythms in his ear