Legendary tabla player Zakir Hussain has passed on, but he leaves behind a legacy for generations to cherish

Zakir Hussain, the tabla maestro who was initiated into music the moment he was brought home from the nursing home as ‘Baby Qureshi’, lived up to the legacy of his illustrious family well, only taking it to the new heights. One of the greatest tabla players of all time, Grammy winner, actor and composer, Zakir Hussain left music -overs in deep sorrow on Monday as he breathed his last at a hospital in San Francisco.

Born to legendary tabla virtuoso Ustad Alla Rakha, Zakir’s music education begun at home. By 12, he was already part of international concerts while travelling the world. In the six decades of musical journey, he earned name and fame not just as one of the finest percussionist but also a leading figure of Hindustani classical music and jazz fusion.

Spending his initial years at Mumbai, where he did his schooling and college, Zakir went on to earn his PhD in music from the University of Washington. While he travelled the world, preforming at every eminent stage, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, he settled in the US. He taught at prestigious universities in the US, including Stanford, Princeton and UC Berkeley. His yearly workshop in the San Francisco Bay Area has been a sought-after and revered destination for tabla performers for the last three decades.

Ground-breaking collaborations, awards and honours, including Padma Vibhushan and Kyoto Prize laureate in Arts and Philosophy, he was a man as feted as loved. If ‘Wah Taj’ has been forever been associated with the curly haired, energetic, jovial man, he was also the leading authority on contemporary world music, giving multiple historic collaborations.

The year 2024 was grand for Hussain as he won three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards —for Best Global Music Album, Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

The multifaceted musician may have begun his journey into the other realm, but he will continue to be revered for the music that became a bridge between North and South Indian artistes.

Roll of honour

Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awardee, Zakir Hussain has also been recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. He has been honoured with Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy, Aga Khan Music Award and United States National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, along with many others awards.

Grammy corner

Zakir Hussain received three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, becoming the first Indian to garner this honour in one single night in February, 2024 — Best Global Music Performance for Pashto; Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for As We Speak and Best Global Music Album for This Moment. He won his first Grammy Best Contemporary World Music for Album Global Drum Project in 2009.

Cinema calling

Zakir also gave music in films like Merchant Ivory’s Heat and Dust (1983), Miss Beatty’s Children (1992), Saaz (1998) and Manto (2018). He acted in films like The Monkey Man and Thanduvitaen Ennai. Documentaries Zakir and His Friends (1998) and Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum (2003), showcased his life.

Love & respect

Zakir Hussain kept his connect with the city he was born in — Mumbai. On Monday, fashion designer Manish Malhotra posted a series of photos of Zakir Hussain on Instagram and wrote, “RIP, Ustad Zakir Hussain. I had the privilege and honour of dressing maestro Zakir Hussain for the Grammys 2024 and meeting him at our Manish Malhotra headquarters in Mumbai. I will cherish those memories for life. Love and respect.”

True master

Ustad Zakir Hussain was the youngest Indian to receive the Padma Shri award in 1988. He was addressed as Ustad for the very first time by Pandit Ravi Shankar then. He received the Padma Shri in 1988. In an interview with the national channel DD, Ustad Zakir Hussain narrated an interesting anecdote about the time he received the Padma Shri. Hussain recalled, “When the Padma Shri award was announced, it was 4 am. Someone came with a newspaper. I was performing at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai with Pandit Ravishankar ji. My father, Ustad Allah Rakha, was also sitting in the front row.”

He continued, “I think someone came and whispered in his ear, informing him about the Padma Shri, as it had been published in the newspapers. He got really excited. My father somehow managed to send the message to Pandit Ravi Shankar ji on stage.”

Zakir Hussain added, “Pandit ji (Pandit Ravi Shankar) announced my Padma Shri on stage. It was the first time he addressed me as Ustad. It was a very special moment for me, as it was announced in front of my father and Pandit Ravi Shankar ji, two of my biggest inspirations.” Ustad Zakir Hussain was also awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2002 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

Pure grace

Chandigarh-based kathak dancer Shobha Koser says, “Zakir Hussain was a behtreen tabla nawaz and sangatkaar. He never had the ego of being the ‘Zakir Hussain’ even in his mature years. He would bring out the talent of young artistes who accompanied him on stage and that’s what distinguished from others. Even off stage, he was kind, graceful and respectful to one and all.”

Celebs mourn

Zakir Hussain fans the world over, including celebrated artistes, were yet to come to terms with his untimely demise. He was 73. One of the most grief-stricken of them all was Hariprasad Chaurasia. “I don’t want to say anything right now... I pray to god that it is a lie,” the 86-year-old flautist said. “I never saw him drinking or eating anything wrong. He only lived for his tabla, rhythm and melody. How could this have happened?” he added in disbelief. The world renowned percussionist collaborated with Chaurasia for a number of musical projects, including the live album Remembering Shakti in 1999. Here’s a look at what some of the other celebrities wrote on social media.

“Blessed by my guru Ustad @ZakirHtabla at this year’s Guru Poornima…Never imagined that it would be the last time. Om Shanti...Om Shanti...Om Shanti...”

—Anuradha Pal

“The rhythm of a maestro can never be muted. RIP Zakir Hussain sahab. Shocked and heartbroken by his passing, his legacy will live on in every beat.”

—Manoj Bajpayee

“The irreparable loss of Zakir Hussain sahab is a devastating blow to India and the global music community. Sir, your music was a gift, a treasure that will continue to inspire and uplift generations to come. Your legacy will live on. May your soul rest in eternal glory, surrounded by the rhythms and melodies.”

—Riteish Deshmukh

“Zakir bhai! He left too soon. Yet we are grateful for the times he gave us and what he left behind in the form of his art. Goodbye and thank you”

—Kamal Haasan

“Zakir bhai was an inspiration, a towering personality who elevated the tabla to global acclaim. His loss is immeasurable for all of us. I regret not being able to collaborate with him as much as we did decades ago, though we had planned an album together. You shall be truly missed. May his family and his countless students worldwide find the strength to bear this immense loss.”

—AR Rahman