Zakir Hussain, one of the world’s greatest tabla players, has died at the age of 73.
The Indian classical music icon died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said in a statement.
Hussain was a four-time Grammy award winner and has received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
Through his performances, he transformed the tabla into a globally loved solo instrument that was the star of the show.
The tabla – a pair of drums used in Indian classical music – was historically viewed as an accompaniment to the main performance.
Remembering the man who became Indian music’s global ambassadorAs news of Hussain’s death broke, tributes have begun pouring in.
Nayan Ghosh, who plays the sitar and tabla, called the news “devastating” and said that his association with Hussain went back 60 years to their childhood.
“He was a pathbreaker, a game-changer, an icon who put tabla and Indian music on the world map by transcending the boundaries of genre and inspiring generations of artistes,” he told the BBC.
English guitarist John McLaughlin – who performed with Hussain in the band Shakti – described him as “the King, in whose hands, rhythm became magic”. Grammy winning composer Ricky Kej called him “one of the greatest musicians and personalities India has ever produced”.
Prime Minister Narendra
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