Mumbai . The country's famous tabla player Zakir Hussain passed away at the age of 73. He breathed his last in San Francisco. His family has confirmed this sad news. As soon as the news of the death of the tabla player was received, there was mourning in the country as well as in the Indian film industry. Many Bollywood stars including Ranveer Singh, Bhumi Pednekar termed Zakir Hussain's demise as a big loss and paid tribute to him by sharing posts on social media.
Actress Bhumi Pednekar shared a picture of the maestro on Instagram and wrote in the caption, “The tunes of Ustad Zakir Hussain will always resonate in our hearts.”
Actor Ranveer Singh paid tribute to Zakir Hussain by sharing a picture.
Ritesh Deshmukh shared the post on social media platform Sir, your music was a gift, which will continue to inspire generations to come. Your legacy will remain immortal. May your soul be surrounded by rhythm and tunes. Condolences to the family and loved ones of Zakir Hussain Sahab.”
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote on X, “Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away a few hours ago. After all, Ustadji… the man who made tabla attractive, deepest condolences to his family and fans all over the world.”
Zakir Hussain, who was suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, was undergoing treatment at a San Francisco hospital, where he died, his family said.
Hussain's wife's name is Antonia Minnecola and daughters are Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Born on 9 March 1951, Hussain was the son of the great tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha.
A statement issued by the family said that he leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that will be cherished by countless music lovers around the world, whose impact will last for generations to come.
In his career spanning six decades, Hussain worked with many international and Indian artists. In 1973 he also worked on a musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar and percussionist TH 'Vikku' Vinayakram, bringing together Indian classical and jazz in fusion.
Zakir Hussain worked with eminent artists of India including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma in his career. His groundbreaking work with Western musicians such as YoYo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart and George Harrison brought Indian classical music to an international audience.
Zakir Hussain received four Grammy Awards during his illustrious career. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.
This year, in October, Hussain had said that he was spending the autumn season in America. He shared a video on his social media handle and gave his followers a glimpse of the changing weather in America.
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Image Credit: Khaskhabar.