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Zakir Hussain, four-time Grammy winner, passes away at 73 in San Francisco
Jon Bleicher, the family spokesperson, confirmed the news on Dec. 16.
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Zakir Hussain / Photo Courtesy # Website-us20.campaign-archive.com/ Photo credit: Jim McGuire
Zakir Hussain, the Indian tabla maestro and one of the world's most iconic musicians, passed away at 73 in San Francisco due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The family spokesperson, Jon Bleicher, confirmed the news on Dec. 16.
Confusion initially surrounded reports of his death on Dec.15, after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting deleted a tweet that had confirmed the news. Official updates from his family or the San Francisco hospital, where he was reportedly undergoing checkups, were awaited at the time.
“He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time,” his family said in a statement confirming the news of his passing away.
The son of tabla legend Ustad Allarakha, Hussain was a child prodigy who redefined Indian classical music. His collaborations with icons like Ravi Shankar, Shivkumar Sharma, and Ali Akbar Khan set new benchmarks in Indian music.
He also bridged East and West, working with Yo-Yo Ma, George Harrison, Béla Fleck, and Mickey Hart, among others, introducing Indian rhythms to global audiences.
Hussain co-founded groundbreaking groups like Shakti and Planet Drum and earned five Grammy Awards, including three in March 2024, a record for an Indian artist in one night. His contributions were celebrated with honors like India’s Padma Vibhushan, the Kyoto Prize, and the US National Heritage Fellowship. He scored for films, worked with dance companies, and mentored countless musicians.
Hussain’s remarkable global influence was recognized with some of the highest honors in the world of music. In 2022, he received the prestigious Kyoto Prize for his contributions to the “cultural and spiritual betterment of mankind.”
In India, he was awarded the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, along with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the rare Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, a lifetime honor given to only 40 artists at a time.
In the United States, Zakir was honored with the National Heritage Fellowship in 1999, the country’s highest lifetime award for traditional artists.
In 2017, SFJazz presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his “unparalleled contribution to the world of music.". He also received the Aga Khan Award in 2022 for his “enduring contributions to the musical heritage of humanity, peerless musical mastery, and sustained social impact.”
“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,” the family’s statement said, requesting privacy at the time.
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