Mumbai: The world of music lost a gem with the demise of Ustad Zakir Hussain. The renowned tabla player passed away due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in San Francisco, California at the age of 73. The late musician rendered new dimensions to Indian music as he took the culture and the humility associated with our music, across the world.
Zakir, who was born on March 9, 1951 in Mumbai, was the eldest son of tabla player Alla Rakha, and is widely considered as one of the greatest tabla players of all time. As much as a great musician he was, the Ustaad was also known for his nature, his conduct on stage and his respect for the art and fellow artists.
He struck a chord with every generation and every set of listeners owing to his exceptional skills, his charm and the ability to blend in with every genre. The sight of him belting out his prowess on tabla for a tea brand is a core memory of every 1990s kid.
While the space of Indian television commercials was still walking on its wobbly legs, it was Zakir, who gave it the required strength with his stellar screen presence, his unmatched brilliance on tabla and the way with which he said, “Waah Taj”.
His presence was truly global as he not only elevated Indian music to great heights but also collaborated with many international artists like George Harrison of the iconic band, The Beatles, on the 1973 album ‘Living in the Material World’ and John Handy for the album ‘Hard Work’. He also performed on Van Morrison’s 1979 album ‘Into the Music’ and ‘Earth’.
His illustrious body of work was feted with several awards like four Grammy Awards, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan, Government of India’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya, United States National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians.
Zakir Hussain continues to leave a deep impact on India’s music and its cultural heritage.
