Zakir Hussain was an iconic tabla player, who contributed to classical music and earned fame across the world.

Hussain won Grammy award four times and was honoured with India s second-highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan.

He belonged to the renowned musician family of India, he learned music as family tradition from his father and grandfather. He was the son of legendary musician Ustad Allah Rakha Khan. He contracted idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, and admitted in hospital in San Francisco.

In a heartfelt statement, his family described his legacy as “extraordinary,” emphasising the profound influence he lasted, which would inspire generations to come.

Born in Mumbai in 1951, Hussain was a musical prodigy, performing his first concert at the age of just seven. Under the guidance of his legendary father, Allah Rakha Khan, he not only mastered the tabla but also transformed it, elevating it from a mere accompaniment to a globally renowned instrument.