Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain dies at 73, confirms family

New Delhi: Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain died at a hospital in San Francisco, his family said on Monday.

Hussain died due to complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, according to his family. He was 73.

He had been hospitalised for the last two weeks and was later taken to the ICU as his condition deteriorated.

The 73-year-old US-based musician, who has taken the tabla to the global stage, had been having blood pressure issues, said Hussain's manager Nirmala Bachani on Sunday.

In the official statement on his passing on Monday, his family said, "His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time. The family requests privacy at this time."

Hussain has received four Grammy Awards in his career, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year.

In his career spanning six decades, the musician worked with several renowned international and Indian artistes, but it was his 1973 musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist TH 'Vikku' Vinayakram that brought together Indian classical and elements of jazz in a fusion hitherto unknown.

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.