Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain took his last breath in San Francisco on December 15. The veteran musician died due to complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the family said in a statement. As per a PTI report, Hussain was hospitalised for the past two weeks and later was shifted to ICU after his health conditions started deteriorating. The musician is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola and his daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. The statement read, “He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come.” 

Several celebrities and politicians have mourned the death of the legendary musician. Chairperson of the RPG Group Harsh Goenka wrote on X, “The world falls silent as the tabla loses its maestro. Ustad Zakir Hussain, a rhythmic genius who brought the soul of India to global stages, has left us. I was privileged to know him because of his connection with HMV and hear him perform at our home. His beats will echo eternally.”

NCP President Sharad Pawar shared his condolences to the family on X. He tweeted, “The news of the demise of renowned tabla player Padma Bhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain is heartbreaking. Zakir Hussain, son of Allah Rakhan Khan, who is known as the most famous tabla player in India, was a multi-faceted personality. He established the tabla, an instrument of Indian music, on the world stage. For his unparalleled achievements in the field of music, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, while the world took note of his talented work by giving him the Grammy Award and the S. D. Burman International Creative Award. A legend in the art world passed away today. I pay my heartfelt tribute to Ustad Zakir Hussain, saluting his art.” 

Ranveer Singh took to his Instagram account to mourn the death of Zakir Hussain. 

The musician was born to legendary tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha on March 9, 1951. He has done immense work in a career spanning six decades where he worked with International and Indian artists. His stint in 1973 on a musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH 'Vikku' Vinayakram gave him popularity as it brought together Indian classical and jazz in a fusion hitherto. Throughout his career, he collaborated with several iconic musicians including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma.