Zakir Hussain Highlights: Tributes Pour In As Tabla Maestro Passes Away At 73

🔜Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain has passed away at the age of 73 in San Francisco from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a statement from his family confirmed on Monday.

🥂He had been hospitalised for the last two weeks and was later taken to the ICU after his condition deteriorated.

ꦛThe legendary Tabla virtuoso leaves behind a legacy that is cherished and respected by countless music lovers across the world, with an influence that will be reflected in generations to come.

🌜He has received five Grammy Awards in his career, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year.

He was also a recipient of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. READ MORE

Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi 🦂in a post on X wrote, "The news of the demise of the great tabla player Ustad Zakir Hussain ji is extremely sad. His demise is a great loss for the music world. My condolences are with his family and fans in this hour of grief..."

UP CM Yogi Adityanath 🎉in a post on X wrote, "The demise of world-renowned tabla player, 'Padma Vibhushan' Ustad Zakir Hussain ji is extremely sad and an irreparable loss to the music world. I pray to God to grant salvation to the departed soul and give strength to his bereaved family and grief-stricken fans to bear this immense loss. Om peace!"

⛄Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, in his condolence message, called the musician a devoted disciple and son of the great Ustad Alla Rakha who elevated the “humble” tabla to global prominence.

🐓“His extraordinary performance made him popular among classical purists and the broader audience, captivating all with his intense yet playful and engaging performances,” he said.

(Source: PTI)

ꦓCondoling Hussain’s demise, former Union minister Sharad Pawar said, “The news of the demise of renowned tabla player Padma Bhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain is heartbreaking. Zakir Hussain was known as the most famous tabla player in India, was a multi-faceted personality.”

🔥“He established the tabla, an instrument of Indian music, on the world stage... A legend in the art world passed away today,” Pawar said.

(Source: PTI)

ไLeading musicians of West Bengal on Monday mourned the death of Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, describing him as a humble artist despite being the last of the Mohicans in the world of classical music.

🃏Santoor artist Pt Tarun Bhattacharya said, "There will not be another Zakir Hussain. He was the last Mohican in the world of classical music or one of the last Mohicans."

✅Hussain experimented with Tabla bol (rhythm) in different classical ragas and style, Bhattacharya said, adding that Tablas used to speak under his hand.

🏅Bhattacharya recalled that he would touch the feet of elders on stage before any performance.

𝔍He was the one who had brought Indian tabla before the world and made Indian classical instrumental music on par with the Beatles, the Santoor player said.

🔯Gima award winner and jury member for Grammy, Tabla artist Pradyut Mukherjee, described Hussain as a versatile player who was a great performer on stage.

๊"I consider him as a mentor though he was not officially my guru. I had learnt rhythms and beats from him and he was always very humble and polite never showing any high highhandedness to newcomers," he said.

༺Mukherjee said Hussain was always eager to help a budding talent if he could spot any spark in his repertoire.

🐬"Zakir ji used to visit the shop of a Tabla maker in South Kolkata and would use their instrument for his performance here and abroad," Mukherjee said.

෴Sarod player Pt Tejendra Narayan Majumdar said Hussain had been performing at the Swara Samrat Festival, which is being held here, for nine years.

⛦"Zakir Bhai was expected to regale the audiences with his tabla wizardry yesterday also, the third of four-day festival. We all knew he was not keeping well. But he has gone too soon. The emptiness and the sense of loss is yet to sink in," he said.

(Source: PTI)

🙈Three times Grammy Award winner musician Ricky Kej took to social media to express his condolences on Zakir Hussain's demise.

👍"Shocked, deeply saddened and devastated by the passing-on of the legend Ustad Zakir Hussain," he wrote on X.

💫Eight years ago, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain had narrated how his father Alla Rakha had welcomed him into this world by putting the musical instrument’s rhythms into his ears when asked to recite prayers.

꧟“I was brought home and handed over to my dad in his arms. The tradition was that the father is supposed to recite a prayer in the baby's ear, welcoming the baby and putting some good words.

♌“So he takes me in his arms, puts his lips to my ear and recites the tabla rhythms into my ears. My mother was livid. She said, what are you doing? You're supposed to say, you know, prayers, not rhythms.

⛎“And he said, but these are my prayers. This is how I pray. He said, I am the worshipper of Goddess Saraswati and Lord Ganesh. This was a devout Muslim talking. He said this is the knowledge he got from his teachers and wanted to pass it on to his son,” Zakir Hussain said.

(Source: PTI)

🐼Born on March 9, 1951 in Mumbai, Ustad Zakir Hussain was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, Padma Bhushan in 2002 and Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

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

ꩵDuring his early days, he used to travel by train and if he could not find a seat, he would spread newspapers on the floor and sleep. During such journeys, so that no one’s feet touched his tabla, he used to sleep with the musical instruments in his lap.

🧜In another interview, Zakir Hussain had recalled an incident when he was 12 years old. He had gone to a concert with his father. Music stalwarts like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Bismillah Khan, Pandit Shanta Prasad and Pandit Kishan Maharaj were also present at that concert.

🌟Zakir Hussain went on stage with his father and got five rupees for the performance. “I have earned a lot of money in my life, but those five rupees were the most valuable,” the tabla maestro had said.

(Source: PTI)

♋Kamal Sabri called Hussain's death a "great loss" to all forms of music, be it Indian classical or global. "He was an amazing musician who represented Indian music on the global stage for a long time," he told PTI.

🧔"He was an inspiration. It's an irreparable loss... He was the most famous Indian musician world over," classical vocalist Wasifuddin Dagar told PTI.

Check out a few glimpses of Ustad Zakir Hussain's life through these photos. Click here

💧For Haridas Vhatkar, tabla making won’t be the same again, as he mourns the passing away of his most celebrated customer, Ustad Zakir Hussain.

ꦚ“I first began making tablas for his father Alla Rakha, and made tablas for Zakir Hussain saab since 1998,” an emotional Vhatkar, 59, told PTI.

𝕴Speaking from his workshop at Kanjurmarg in Mumbai, Vhatkar said he last met the 73-year-old tabla maestro in August this year in Mumbai.

💛“It was Guru Poornima and we met at a hall where lot of his admirers were also there. The next day, I went to his house in Simla House Cooperative Society on Nepean Sea Road neighbourhood and were engrossed in conversation for a couple of hours,” Vhatkar said.

꧙“He was very particular about what sort of tabla he wanted and when. He paid a lot of attention to the ‘tuning’ aspect of the musical instrument,” said Vhatkar, a third generation tabla maker, hailing from Miraj in western Maharashtra.

♌“Innumerable,” was Vhatkar’s reply when asked how many tablas did he make for Zakir Hussain over the last two decades. He said he also has many tablas which were left behind for him by the tabla maestro.

ꩵ“Besides making new instruments, I was also his sort of repair department for maintaining the collection of the older ones,” said Vhatkar. “I made tablas for him and he made my life,” the tabla maker added.

(Via PTI)

🃏PM Narendra Modi in a post on X wrote: Deeply saddened by the passing of the legendary tabla maestro, Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji. He will be remembered as a true genius who revolutionized the world of Indian classical music. He also brought the tabla to the global stage, captivating millions with his unparalleled rhythm. Through this, he seamlessly blended Indian classical traditions with global music, thus becoming an icon of cultural unity.

ꦬHis iconic performances and soulful compositions will contribute to inspire generations of musicians and music lovers alike. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the global music community.

♔Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday paid tribute to iconic tabla player Zakir Hussain, calling him a "true legend", whose rhythms transcended borders and united hearts.

💞Expressing grief over his death, the CM recalled his contribution to Indian classical music and global art.

💫"Deeply saddened by the passing of Tabla Maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, a true legend whose rhythms transcended borders and united hearts. His contribution to Indian classical music and global art is unparalleled. May his soul rest in peace. Heartfelt condolences to his family and admirers," Siddaramaiah posted on 'X'.

☂Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday mourned the demise of table maestro Zakir Hussain.

🍃"Deeply mourn the loss of Ustad Zakir Hussain, a true maestro whose tabla beats wove magic that resonated across the world," Khandu said in a post on X.

♈"A recipient of the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, along with four Grammy Awards, and honoured by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, his legacy will forever echo in the annals of Indian classical music," the chief minister said in another social media post.

ဣ"My heartfelt condolences to his family and countless admirers. May his soul rest in eternal peace. Om Shanti," Khandu added.

💯BJP president J P Nadda Monday condoled the demise of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain and said his legacy will continue to echo in people's hearts through his "timeless music". Hussain died at a hospital in San Francisco, US, due to complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to his family. He was 73.

ꦍIn a post on X, Nadda said, "Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji".

📖"Though he may no longer be with us, his legacy will continue to echo in our hearts through his timeless music," Nadda said.

♉President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said the passing of tabla wizard Ustad Zakir Hussain was a great loss to the world of music.

🥃"The demise of tabla wizard Ustad Zakir Hussain is a great loss to the world of music. He was known for his extraordinary creativity and inventiveness. He mesmerised generations of music lovers across the world," Murmu said in a post on X. "He was a bridge between the musical traditions of India and the West. I had the privilege of conferring the Padma Vibhushan upon him. I convey my deepest condolences to members of his family and his countless admirers," she added.

🍸Flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia is yet to come to terms with the news of tabla maestro Zakir Hussain's passing away, saying how could this happen to a person who only lived for the instrument, rhythm, and melody.

♓"I cannot believe this news. Everybody is talking about it but I feel all of this is false. How can I believe god has called him so soon or that he was sick? I cannot even think about this," Chaurasia told news agency PTI.

⛦"I don't want to say anything right now, it's possible it may be false (news). I pray to god that it is a lie," the 86-year-old flautist said.

𒀰"But if it is true then how could this happen at such a young age, what could he do to deserve this? I never saw him drinking or eating anything wrong. He only lived for his tabla, rhythm and melody. How could this have happened?" he added.

🦋The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) condoled the demise of tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, saying it’s not just a loss to Indian music world but that of the entire globe.

ꦦ“The sad demise of India's music sage and Padma Vibhushan Shri Zakir Hussain has not only caused a loss to the Indian music world but the entire world has lost a great music personality today,” RSS' all India publicity and communications department head Sunil Ambekar said in a post on X in Hindi.

❀“This great son of Maa Saraswati had unwavering faith in Indian culture. He has established tabla in a unique and attractive form all over the world,” he said.

🥂“May his divine soul attain salvation, this is my prayer to God,” Ambekar added.