Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, who was one of the most iconic faces of Indian classical music, breathed his last in San Francisco, his family confirmed early Monday morning. He was 73 and had been battling idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis for some time now. He had been hospitalised for two weeks now and was admitted to ICU as his condition deteriorated. As per the statement released by Zakir Hussain’s family, he died due to complications stemming from the aforementioned disease.
Ustad Zakir Hussain was easily one of the biggest and most widely recognised names in Indian classical music. The eldest son of Ustad Allarakha, he was considered one of the greatest table players to ever have graced us. While Ustad Allarakha is credited for introducing the Western audiences to tabla, when he played with Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Zakir Hussain only took his legacy a few steps further. A seven-time Grammy nominee and a four-time winner, Zakir Hussain also has been the recipient of many esteemed awards like the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, United States National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship in 1999, and Akademi Ratna Sadasyta in 2018. He also received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.
Zakir Hussain's early career
While he started making his international strides after playing on George Harrison's 1973 album Living in the Material World and John Handy's 1973 album Hard Work, Zakir Hussain was approached by Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead to collaborate with other percussionists on the album Planet Drum. This album featured not only Zakir Hussain but also many other drummers from around the world. This Planet Drum album, released in 1991, went on to earn the 1992 Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, the first Grammy ever awarded in this category. From India, apart from Zakir Hussain, Ghatam player Vikku Vinayakram was also featured.
Zakir Hussain’s family
Ustad Zakir Hussain married Antonia Minnecola, who happens to be a Kathak dancer and teacher. Together they have two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. While Anisa is a practising filmmaker, Isabella is studying dance. The family lives in San Francisco.
Zakir Hussain’s family in India includes Ustad Taufeeq Qureshi, and Ustad Fazal Qureshi, who divides time between Mumbai and Sweden, where his family lives.