Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away on Monday in San Francisco at the age of 73, due to complications from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. After being hospitalized for two weeks, his condition worsened and he was moved to the ICU. His sister, Khurshid Aulia, said he passed away ‘peacefully’.
Regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation, Hussain is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola and daughters Anisa and Isabella Qureshi. Born on March 9, 1951 to legendary tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha, his family described his legacy as extraordinary.
In a six-decade long career, Hussain collaborated with both Indian and international artists, including Ravi Shankar, John McLaughlin, Yo-Yo Ma and George Harrison. His pioneering fusion of Indian classical music and jazz, notably in 1973, gained global recognition. Hussain received four Grammy Awards and several prestigious honors, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
