Zakir Hussain, Renowned Tabla Virtuoso, Passes Away at 73
Moneylife Digital Team 16 December 2024
Zakir Hussain, one of the most transcendent and influential musicians of our time, has passed away at the age of 73 after a battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Ustad Zakir Hussain, known for his extraordinary mastery of the tabla, passed away in San Francisco, surrounded by family.
 
He is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola, daughters Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi, and his siblings, Taufiq Qureshi, Fazal Qureshi, and Khurshid Aulia.
  
The son of the legendary Ustad Allarakha, a prominent tabla maestro and Ravi Shankar's longtime collaborator, Mr Hussain was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation. As a child prodigy, he forged collaborations with India's most iconic performers, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma. His groundbreaking work with Western musicians like Yo-Yo Ma, Béla Fleck, George Harrison, and John McLaughlin elevated Indian classical music to global acclaim and solidified his place as a cultural ambassador.
  
A trailblazer in the contemporary world music movement, Zakir Hussain's mastery of rhythm allowed him to bridge musical traditions effortlessly. His notable projects included Shakti, Remember Shakti, the Global Drum Project with Mickey Hart, and Tabla Beat Science, among others. He also collaborated with jazz legends such as Charles Lloyd, Joe Henderson and Pharoah Sanders and was instrumental in creating iconic performances that integrated music and dance.
  
A prolific composer, Zakir Hussain was a fixture in film scoring and dance collaborations, working with renowned artists and companies like Alonzo King's Lines Ballet and the Mark Morris Dance Group. His contributions earned him numerous prestigious accolades, including two Grammy Awards with Mickey Hart for Planet Drum and three more in 2024, making him the first Indian to win three Grammys in one night.
  
Recognised globally for his transformative impact, Zakir  Hussain was honoured with the Kyoto Prize in 2022 for his contributions to cultural and spiritual betterment. He also received India's highest civilian honours, including the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Fellowship. In the US, he was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1999 and the SFJazz Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
  
His legacy as a teacher, mentor and global music ambassador will continue to inspire generations of musicians. Zakir Hussain leaves behind a profound, unparalleled legacy as one of the greatest musicians in history.
  
The family has requested privacy during this time of mourning.
Comments
iaminprabhu
2 months ago
Zakir Ji was "THE HAND OF GOD" on Tabla !
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