Zakir Hussain, legendary Tabla Maestro, passes away at 73 | People News

Zakir Hussain, the legendary tabla maestro and composer, passed away on Sunday, December 15, 2024, aged 73.

Earlier on Sunday, Hussain was admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital in San Francisco with heart-related problems, his friend and flutist Rakesh Chaurasia told PTI.

Hussain’s manager Nirmala Bachani told the news agency: “He has been admitted to a hospital in San Francisco for a heart-related problem for the past two weeks.”

The US-based tabla maestro had been struggling with blood pressure problems, according to Hussain’s manager, Nirmala Bachani.

Ustad Zakir Hussain: Tabla Maestro

The eldest son of legendary tabla player Allah Rakha, Zakir Hussain followed in his father’s footsteps to become a global icon. Throughout his career, Hussain won five Grammy Awards, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year.

In a career spanning six decades, Zakir Hussain collaborated with numerous acclaimed artists, both Indian and international. His 1973 project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar and percussionist TH ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram was groundbreaking. The collaboration fused Indian classical music with jazz, creating a unique sound never heard before.

Considered one of India’s most celebrated classical musicians, Hussain received the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.