The great Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain has been robbed from our midst at the fag end of the year in which he became the first Indian to win three Grammy awards.
The 73-year-old passed away in a hospital in San Francisco after battling heart ailments. He had been hospitalised for two weeks before being shifted to ICU on Sunday when he met his end.
Zakir Hussain won Grammys for Best Global Music Performance for the song "Pashto", Best Contemporary Instrumental Album and Best Global Music Album at the Premier Music Awards earlier this year making history history as the first Indian to win three Grammys in a single night.
His career saw him collaborate with numerous renowned musicians, both from India and around the world, which helped cement his place in global music.
One of his most groundbreaking projects was in 1973, when he teamed up with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L. Shankar, and percussionist T.H. 'Vikku' Vinayakram. This collaboration blended Indian classical music with jazz, creating a fusion that was revolutionary at the time.
In a 2018 interview, Hussain expressed his belief that the role of a percussionist is to accompany the vocalist, no matter how famous the musician may be. He explained that a tabla player must always be a "subordinate" when performing alongside a classical musician or singer.
"My job will be to help him (vocalist), accompany him, and play with him. For a tabla player to be in that situation is something very normal, not a stigma of any kind," Hussain said.
Hussain often spoke about the deep bond he shared with his tabla, which he considered more than just an instrument.
"Music has brought me to the world and the world to me," he once said.
The maestro viewed his tabla as his "mate," a brother, a friend, and even the bed he slept in. He spoke of a special connection with the spirit of the instrument, saying, "I cannot imagine that I can exist without it. It motivates me to get up in the morning and say, 'hello.'"
Born to the legendary musician Alla Rakha, Hussain was a child prodigy, giving his first concert at the age of seven and beginning to tour by the age of 12. After completing his education in Mumbai, he moved to the US in 1970, marking the beginning of his international career.
His collaborations with global artists, including George Harrison, John Handy, Van Morrison, and the pop group Earth, Wind & Fire, helped bring the tabla to international audiences.
The percussionist, one of India's most celebrated classical musicians, received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.
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