ZAKIR HUSSAIN, whose ‘dancing fingers’ made him one of the greatest players of the tabla or Indian drums and who became a major force in contemporary world music, has died. Hussain, 73, died in a San Francisco hospital from complications of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - a chronic lung disease, his family said in a statement.
A child prodigy, he was known for his dazzling solo performances and a raft of collaborative work with internationally renowned musicians such as George Harrison of the Beatles.
He was nominated for seven Grammy awards, winning four including three this year, according to the Grammy website. He was also the recipient of India’s highest honour for performing artists, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
The eldest son of legendary tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha, Hussain began his professional career at the age of 12 accompanying Indian classical musicians.
By 18, he was touring internationally and would go on to work with the likes of Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, jazz musician Herbie Hancock and virtuoso guitarist John McLaughlin.
Born into a family of musicians, Hussain was a child prodigy and first performed at a concert at the age of 7. He often toured and performed with his father, Alla Rakha, another legendary player of the tabla, an ancient Indian percussion instrument.
After completing his education in Mumbai, Hussain’s international career took off when he moved to the US in 1970. The first waves were created by his groundbreaking work with British guitarist John McLaughlin, violist L Shankar and percussionist T H ‘Vikku’ Vinaykram.
They formed a band called Shakti that fused Indian classical music with jazz in tracks that remain iconic to this day. The band disbanded and came together again several times with Hussain and McLaughlin remaining constants.
Through his career, Hussain worked with Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Llyod, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and others, popularising Indian classical music as a cultural ambassador. Earlier in 2024 he won three Grammy awards for Best Global Music Performance, best Contemporary Instrumental Album and Best Global Music Album. —AFP/dpa
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