Zakir Hussain, tabla maestro died at a hospital in San Francisco, his family confirmed on Monday. Hussain was admitted to the hospital in the United States after being diagnosed with serious heart issues. He was earlier shifted to the ICU of a San Francisco hospital, his friend and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia said.
According to the family, he died due to complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to his family. He was 73. He had been hospitalised for the last two weeks and was later taken to the ICU as his condition deteriorated.
Hussain had received four Grammy Awards in his career, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year.
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.
The percussionist, one of India’s most celebrated classical musicians, received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.
The 73-year-old US-based musician, who had taken the tabla to the global stage, had been having blood pressure issues, Hussain’s manager Nirmala Bachani added earlier.
The eldest son of legendary tabla player Allah Rakha, Hussain has followed in the footsteps of his father, becoming a marquee name in India and across the world. In his career spanning six decades, the musician had 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.