The world of music mourns the loss of a legend, Zakir Hussain, the tabla maestro who was instrumental in shaping the contemporary world music movement. His death was confirmed by Jon Bleicher, the PR representing his family. Hussain, a transcendent musician, succumbed to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in San Francisco at the age of 73. Born to the legendary tabla master Ustad Allah Rakha, Zakir Hussain was a child prodigy who collaborated with virtually all of India's iconic performers, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Shivkumar Sharma.
His 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. Hussain's unique mastery of rhythm allowed him to cross borders freely and create authentic connections between different genres of music. He participated in many historic collaborations, including Shakti, Remember Shakti, Making Music, The Diga Rhythm Band, Planet Drum, and Global Drum Project with Mickey Hart, Tabla Beat Science, and Sangam with Charles Lloyd and Eric Harland.
His performances and recordings include collaborations with artists as diverse as George Harrison, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Airto Moreira, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, Alonzo King, Mark Morris, Rennie Harris, and the Kodo drummers. Hussain's extraordinary contributions to the music world were honoured in April 2009 with four widely heralded, sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall's Artist Perspective series. He was a prolific composer, creating concertos, scoring for films, and collaborating with dance companies such as Alonzo King's Lines Ballet and The Mark Morris Dance Group.
Over his illustrious career, he earned numerous accolades, including two Grammy Awards with Mickey Hart for Planet Drum, and three more this past March: one with John McLaughlin and the band Shakti, and two for his collaborations with Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Rakesh Chaurasia. Hussain is the first Indian to receive three Grammy Awards in one night. Hussain's extraordinary global impact was recognised with the highest honours that can be given in the world of music. His contributions to the cultural and spiritual betterment of mankind, were acknowledged in 2022 with his awarding of the Kyoto Prize.
In India, he received the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan, and the Padma Shri. He was also a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India's most prestigious honour for performing artists, and later the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, a lifetime honour awarded to only 40 artists at a time. In the US, Zakir Hussain was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship in 1999 by the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation's highest lifetime honour for traditional artists. In 2017, he was honoured with SFJazz's Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his unparalleled contribution to the world of music. In 2022, he was awarded the Aga Khan Award for his enduring contributions to the musical heritage of humanity, peerless musical mastery and sustained social impact.
Hussain's final two concerts were in New Zealand in June, in Christchurch and Auckland. His music danced across multiple genres, with his sound being described as transformative, a mastery of rhythm, and uniquely transformative. He had been in hospital for the past two weeks and was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after his condition deteriorated. He passed away very peacefully after the ventilation machine was switched off.
Hussain's death has left a void in the world of music. His rhythms united hearts, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of musicians. His family requests privacy at this time. His prolific work as a teacher, mentor, and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He inspired the next generation to go further and leave behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time.
