Renowned tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away at a hospital in San Francisco, his family confirmed on Monday. He was 73, according to PTI.
According to his family, Hussain died due to complications from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He had been hospitalized for the past two weeks, and his condition worsened, leading to his transfer to the ICU.
Throughout his illustrious six-decade career, Hussain earned four Grammy Awards, including three at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this year. He collaborated with some of the most celebrated international and Indian musicians, but it was his groundbreaking 1973 project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L. Shankar, and percussionist T.H. ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram that fused Indian classical music with jazz in a way never seen before.
A pioneering figure in Indian classical music, Hussain was honored with the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023, solidifying his legacy as one of India’s most revered musical icons.
As news of Hussain’s health condition spread, fans, and colleagues expressed concern and hope for his recovery. Senior broadcast journalist Pervaiz Alam shared an update from Hussain’s brother-in-law Ayub Aulia, requesting the table maestro’s followers to pray for his well-being. Alam wrote on X, ‘Ustad Zakir Hussain, table player, percussionist, composer, and the son of legendary table player Ustad Allah Rakha , is not well. He is being treated for serious illness in a San Francisco hospital, ‘’Alam posted on X.
(With inputs from PTI)