Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain has handed away on the age of 73 in San Francisco from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an official assertion from his household confirmed on Monday.
The legendary Tabla virtuoso leaves behind a legacy that’s cherished and revered by numerous music lovers internationally, with an affect that shall be replicate in generations to return.
Hussain is survived by his spouse, Antonia Minnecola, his daughters Anisa Qureshi and her household, Isabella Qureshi and her household, his brothers Taufiq and Fazal Qureshi, and his sister Khurshid Aulia.
Earlier on Sunday, Hussain’s pal and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia had mentioned that the Tabla legend was admitted to the San Francisco hospital’s ICU with heart-related issues.
Nonetheless, early reviews surfaced on Sunday saying that the 73-year-old musician had handed away. However these claims had been dismissed by his publicist, who confirmed to PTI that he was being handled on the hospital and “has not handed”.
On the time his household sought prayers and blessings from all for Hussain’s speedy restoration. Different particulars about his situation weren’t revealed earlier.
Within the official assertion on Hussain’s passing on Monday, his household mentioned, “His prolific work as a instructor, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on numerous musicians. He hoped to encourage the subsequent era to go additional. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of many best musicians of all time.”
“The household requests privateness right now,” it added.
Legendary Tabla virtuoso: Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain was born on March 9, 1951 in Mumbai’s Mahim to legendary tabla grasp Ustad Allarakha, who was Ravi Shankar’s longtime accompanist. Hussain had an inclination in the direction of enjoying tabla at a really younger age.
He additionally discovered to play the mridang (classical percussion instrument) from his father on the age of three and started acting at live shows by the age of 12.
A toddler prodigy, Hussain collaborated with nearly all of India’s legend performers, together with Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma.
Moreover, his groundbreaking in West music with artists like The Beatles, Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Llyod, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, George Harrison and John McLaughlin positioned Indian classical music on the worldwide map, marking his standing as a world cultural ambassador.
Hussain’s contribution to music have been thought of to be uniquely transformative. “His distinctive mastery of rhythm allowed him to cross borders freely and create genuine connection between totally different genres of music.”
He has been part of a number of historic collaborations, inclyding Shakti (he based it with John McLaughlin and L Shankar), Keep in mind Shakti, Making Music, The Diga Rhythm Band, Planet Drum and World Drum Mission with Mickey Hart, Tabla Beat Science, and Sangam with Charles Llyod and Eric Harland.
Along with the already lengthy listing of iconic partnerships, Hussain has additionally labored with George Harrison, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Airto Moreira, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, Alonzo King, Mark Morris, Rennie Harris and the Kodo drummers.
His contributions to the music world had been honoured in April 2009, with 4 sold-out live shows at Carnegie Corridor’s Artist Perspective sequence, the official assertion famous.
India bestowed the honour of Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri on Zakir Hussain. He has additionally been a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, and a lifetime honour award of Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship.
Over his magnificent profession, he additionally gained plenty of different accolades, together with two Grammy Awards with Mickey Hart for Planet Drum, and three extra this March (2024), one with John McLaughlin, and the band Shakti, and two for his collaborations with Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Rakesh Chaurasia.
Notably, Zakir Hussain is the primary Indian to take dwelling three Grammy Awards in a single evening.
Moreover, the US awarded Hussain the Nationwide Heritage Fellowship in 1999 by the Nationwide Endowment for the Arts, America’s highest lifetime honour for the standard artists. Later in 2017, he was honoured with SFJazz’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his “unparalleled contribution to the world of music”.
In 2022, Aga Khan Award was introduced to the Tabla legend for his “enduring contributions to the musical heritage of humanity, peerless musical mastery and sustained social affect”.
