Zakir Hussain passes away: Amjad Ali Khan reacts, 'I am completely heartbroken'

Ustad Zakir Hussain one of the greatest percussionists of all time has passed away at the age of 73 in San Francisco leaving an irreplaceable void in the world of musicHussain a true pioneer of Indian classical music succumbed to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis as confirmed by Jon Bleicher of Prospect PR speaking on behalf of the Hussain familyZakir Hussains death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from fans celebrities and fellow musicians alikeAcross social media platforms messages of condolence and admiration for the tabla virtuoso have flooded in Musicians artists and fans from around the globe have expressed their sorrow and celebrated the musical legacy of a man whose artistry transcended bordersWords fail me at this point I am completely heartbroken and devastated to hear about Zakir Bhai Ustad Zakir Hussain was a phenomenon He was indeed one of the most loved musicians the world saw pictwittercomQOJG7GrzvVmdash Amjad Ali Khan AAKSarod December 16 2024One of the many to pay tribute was the renowned sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan who shared several nostalgic photographs of his collaborations with Hussain on his official X formerly Twitter accountAlongside the images Khan wrote Words fail me at this point I am completely heartbroken and devastated to hear about Zakir Bhai Ustad Zakir Hussain was a phenomenon He was indeed one of the most loved musicians the world sawKhan who had worked closely with Hussain on numerous musical projects described their collaborations as a fusion of two incredible worldshis sarod and Hussains tablaproducing some of the most memorable performances in the history of Indian classical musicBorn on March 9 1951 in Mumbai Zakir Hussain was introduced to music at a very young age inheriting his immense talent from his father the legendary Ustad Alla RakhaHe began performing publicly while still a teenager and soon rose to international prominence for his technical brilliance and deep emotional expression on the tablaThroughout his career Hussain revolutionised the role of the tabla transforming it from a supporting instrument to a central figure in performancesHis mastery of intricate rhythms combined with his musical sensitivity made him one of the most respected and revered musicians worldwideZakir Hussain was a trailblazer in fusing Indian classical music with global genres His collaborations with musical legends such as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan in classical settings are iconicHowever it was his groundbreaking partnerships with international musicians that truly elevated his statusAs a member of the band Shakti with John McLaughlin and as a key figure in the Grammy Awardwinning Planet Drum project with Mickey Hart Hussain broke down cultural and musical barriers blending Indian rhythms with world music in a way that had never been done beforeIn recognition of his extraordinary contributions to music Zakir Hussain received numerous prestigious awards including the Padma Shri 1988 and Padma Bhushan 2002 from the Government of India and four Grammy Awards for his work in world musicHis contributions to the arts were also honoured by the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and the National Heritage Fellowship in the United States the highest accolade for traditional artistsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever