• Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain died in a hospital in San Francisco, US on December 16. He was 73.

• He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come.

• Regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation, Hussain is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola and their daughters — Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.

• Born on March 9, 1951 in Mumbai, Zakir Hussain was the son of legendary tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha.

• Hussain had his early education from St. Michael’s School and did his graduation from St Xavier’s College, both in Mumbai.

• In a career spanning six decades, Hussain worked with several renowned international and Indian artistes.

• Starting at the age of seven, he went on to collaborate with virtually all of India’s iconic performers, including Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma, in his career.

• His groundbreaking work with Western musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart and George Harrison brought Indian classical music to an international audience, cementing his status as a global cultural ambassador. 

• His broad smile, boyish good looks and curly locks keeping rhythm with his fingers gave him a distinctive star persona that sometimes went beyond his music.

• Earlier this year in February, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Album, Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

• The percussionist, one of India’s most celebrated classical musicians, received the Padma Shri in 1988, Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

• Hussain was also the recipient of countless awards and honours, including Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the USA’s National Heritage Fellowship and Officier in France’s Order of Arts and Letters.

• Besides his work as a tabla player, Hussain also composed music for many movies, including ‘Vanaprastham’, ‘Manto’ and ‘Mr and Mrs Iyer’.

• In 1988, Hussain became a household name as the face of the Taj Mahal Tea brand.

• He was once voted the sexiest man by women readers of the Indian magazine Gentleman in 1994 in a competition against the likes of Amitabh Bachchan.

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