The last of Indian classical music worlds Mohicans has passed on. Ustad Zakir Hussain, the tabla maestro has passed on to play his next gig for the gods. Zakir, 73, died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco. The eldest son of tabla player Alla Rakha, he is considered as the greatest tabla player of all time. A child prodigy, he began performing alongside India’s classical music legends during his teens. He was the player that popularized the tabla worldwide with his tours around the world with musicians like George Harrison, Van Morrison, cellist Yo-Yo-Ma to name just a few.
In his career spanning six decades, the musician worked with several renowned international and Indian artistes, but it was his 1973 musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH 'Vikku' Vinayakram that brought together Indian classical and elements of jazz in a fusion hitherto unknown. He was awarded the Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2002), and Padma Vibhushan (2023) and also won 5 Grammy awards. Hussain leaves behind Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher, who was also his manager and their two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.