Legendary Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain Passes Away at 73
The world is in morning today for the renowned tabla player Zakir Hussain, who died at the age of 73. His family claims that Hussain passed away due to difficulties brought on by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In the early hours of Monday morning, he passed away at a San Francisco hospital. In expressing their deep sorrow, his family described his passing as “an immeasurable loss to the world of music and our family alike.” His last minutes, they claimed, were serene and spent with loved ones.
Ustad Zakir Hussain (9 March 1951 – 15 December 2024) was an Indian tabla player, composer, percussionist, music producer, and film actor. He is the elder son of his father, Ustad Allarakha Khan. Hussain started his musical career under the guidance of his father.
Awards and Honours – He is widely regarded as one of the greatest tabla players in history. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award from the Indian government in 1990, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2018, and the Ratna Sadsya in 2018. In 1999, he received the highest honour awarded upon traditional musicians and artists: the National Heritage Fellowship from the United States National Endowment for the Arts. Hussain has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards and has won four of them. In February 2024, he was awarded three Grammy Awards.
Over his long career he collaborated with many iconic artists and several projects—
like Ravi Shankar, John McLaughlin, George Harrison, Ali Akbar Khan, Shivkumar Sharma, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Herbie Hancock , Van Morrison, Pharoah Sanders and many more.
Some of greatest projects –
The ‘Ultimate’ in Percussion Music
Rhythmic Impressions of Zakir Hussain
When Time Stood Still… etc
Hussein worked with several music bands like –
Shakti,
Remember shakti,
Tabla Beat Science ,
Diga Rhythm Band
