Zakir Hussain, the Indian tabla virtuoso, an icon whose death at age 73 leaves the music world bereft of another true legend, died early Monday morning in a San Francisco hospital. A host of major musicians and his closest living relatives visited his funeral held on Thursday to pay the last respects to the maestro.
Knowing that words couldn’t come close to describing the depth of their sorrow, percussionist Anandan Sivamani and others performed an emotional musical tribute in his memory.
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In a statement issued after his passing, Hussain’s family says they are thinking of the maestro’s amazing legacy and the lasting influence that he has on music lovers across the world. Maestro Hussain died “very peacefully,” according to his sister Khurshid Aulia. He is survived by his children, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi, and his wife, Antonia Minnecola.
Zakir Hussain was born on 9 March 1951 and hailed from a musical background. He was the eldest son of the great Ustad Alla Rakha. A child prodigy, Zakir began playing the tabla at twelve years of age and had already established himself internationally by the time he reached eighteen. In a storied career, Hussain has worked with a number of legendary musicians of all genres, including Herbie Hancock, Yo-Yo Ma, and George Harrison. He has four Grammy wins. More importantly, in 1988, he received Padma Shri, while in 2002 he won Padma Bhushan, and now in 2023, he got Padma Vibhushan.
