Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 16 : Bollywood mourns the loss of Zakir Hussain, the legendary tabla virtuoso celebrated for his unmatched mastery of Indian classical music and groundbreaking global collaborations. Hussain passed away on December 15, Sunday, in San Francisco at the age of 73.
The cause of death was confirmed as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease. The news was announced by Jon Bleicher of Prospect PR, representing the family.
Actress Nimrat Kaur fondly remembered the last live performance of Zakir Hussain she attended at Prithvi Theatre.
Sharing her thoughts on Instagram, Kaur wrote:
"On Feb 28th '24, when I last watched Ustad Zakir Hussain live at Prithvi Theatre, I recall my heart beating to the rhythm of the sheer genius of his talent. His international superstardom and the zenith of his achievements are forever here to inspire and energise us. As a human being, to remain the most humble, gracious, and generous through his incomparable life journey is what remains etched as a soul goal for me. His kind eyes and mystical being shall outlive generations...rest in glory, Ustad ji. Never shall there be another..."
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Nimrat Kaur (@nimratofficial)
Several Bollywood celebrities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Akshay Kumar, and others, also expressed their sorrow at the loss of the maestro.
Among them, Indian film legend Kamal Haasan shared a heartfelt tribute on his official X handle.
Haasan posted a nostalgic picture of himself with Zakir Hussain, both seated alongside a tabla, captioning it:
"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. #ZakirHussain"
}}}}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.#ZakirHussain pic.twitter.com/ln1cmID5LV
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) December 16, 2024
Born on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai, India, Zakir Hussain was the son of the iconic tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. Displaying an extraordinary affinity for the tabla from an early age, he quickly gained recognition for his exceptional talent. By his teenage years, he was already performing alongside some of the greatest Indian classical musicians.
Throughout his illustrious career, Ustad Zakir Hussain collaborated with iconic figures from both traditional Indian and global music scenes. He worked with legends such as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan and was instrumental in creating international fusion bands like Shakti with guitarist John McLaughlin and Planet Drum with Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart.
His collaboration on the Planet Drum album earned him a Grammy Award.
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