Ustad Zakir Hussain, tabla player, percussionist, composer, former actor and the son of legendary tabla player, Ustad Allah Rakha, passed away today (15th December) in San Francisco. The US-based musician had been hospitalised earlier today for heart problems and blood pressure issues. His condition was critical and the end came some time back. His lungs were in a miserable state and he had been put on life support system.
In a career spanning six decades, 73-year-old Zakir Hussain had won five Grammy Awards, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year. One of India’s foremost classical musicians, he received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. He had acted in and scored the music for Saaz.