Famous Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away on Sunday (December 15, 2024). The tabla maestro and composer was 73 years old when he took his last breath. Earlier today, Hussain was rushed to a hospital in the US. He was admitted to the ICU and his condition remained critical.
The news of Zakir Hussain’s hospitalisation was confirmed by his brother-in-law Ayub Aulia. Aulia, and was shared by a journalist named Pervaiz Alam. Taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), Alam informed that the Tabla player was not doing well and was being treated for serious ailments in a San Francisco hospital, in the USA. Further a source close to Zakir Hussain was quoted as saying by India Today, “He has been admitted to a hospital in San Francisco for a heart-related problem for the last week.”
Rakesh Chaurasia who is a close friend of Zakir Hussain, and is also a renowned flautist, in a conversation with news agency PTI opened up about his friend’s condition. He said, “He is unwell and admitted to the ICU right now. We are all worried about the situation”. The news of Hussain’s demise has sent waves of grief through the entire music world. People all across the world, who loved his music have taken to X to pay their tributes to the Table maestro.
Born on March 9, 1951, Ustad Zakir Hussain was a renowned Tabla player. He was the eldest son of the famous tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha. Did you know that when Hussain was just 7 years old gave his first concert and he had started touring by the age of 11? Apart from being a great table player, Zakir Hussain also made his film debut in the years 1989 with ‘Heat and Dust’. He not only acted in the film but also composed music for it.
Zakir Hussain made history as the first Indian musician invited to the White House by former US President Barack Obama for the All-Star Global Concert. In 1978, he married Italian-American Kathak dancer Antonia Minnecola, and the couple is blessed with two daughters.