Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain passes away at 73 in San Francisco

New Delhi: Renowned tabla virtuoso Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away on Sunday at the age of 73 in a San Francisco hospital, where he was admitted to the ICU due to heart-related complications.

The musician, who elevated the tabla to global prominence, had been dealing with blood pressure issues, according to his manager, Nirmala Bachani.

Harsh Goenka, Chairman of RPG Enterprises, expressed his grief over Hussain’s passing on social media platform X.

Hussain, the eldest son of legendary tabla maestro Ustad Allah Rakha, carried forward his father’s legacy, becoming a globally acclaimed artist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he most recently won three accolades at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year.

In a career spanning six decades, Hussain collaborated with numerous Indian and international artists. His groundbreaking 1973 fusion project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH “Vikku” Vinayakram blended Indian classical music with jazz, creating a genre-defining masterpiece.

(With PTI inputs)