A BREAK IN THE BEATS

Ustad Zakir Hussain's demise confirmed on Monday

PADMA VIBHUSHAN ZAKIR HUSSAIN | 9 MARCH, 1951 – 16 DECEMBER, 2024

After a night of agony, for his family as also his lovers across the world, legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain's death was confirmed by Bleicher, the PR who represents his family, in the early hours of Monday.

The statement released by Bleicher read: "Zakir Hussain, one of the world's most transcendent musicians, passed away from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in San Francisco at the age of 73. He is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola; his daughters, Anisa Qureshi (her husband, Taylor Phillips, and their daughter, Zara) and Isabella Qureshi; his brothers, Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi; and his sister, Khurshid Aulia.

He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come." The son of legendary tabla master Ustad Allah Rakha (Ravi Shankar's longtime accompanist), Hussain was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation.

A child prodigy, he collaborated with virtually all of India's iconic performers, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma. His ground-breaking work with Western musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, George Harrison and John McLaughlin brought Indian classical music to an international audience, cementing his status as a global cultural ambassador.

Moreover, his work raised his instrument to virtuoso status.

Widely considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement, Hussain's contributions were uniquely transformative. His unique mastery of rhythm allowed him to cross borders freely and create authentic connections between different genres of music.