Zakir Hussain: Legendary tabla player dies at 73

Zakir Hussain, renowned as one of the finest tabla players globally, has passed away at the age of 73.

The family of the renowned Indian classical music legend announced that he passed away due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a type of lung disease, while receiving treatment in a San Francisco hospital.

Hussain won the Grammy Awards four times and was honored with the Padma Vibhushan, which is India's second-highest civilian honor.

With his performances, he elevated the tabla to a beloved solo instrument recognized worldwide, making it the highlight of the event.

The tabla, a set of two drums found in North Indian classical music, was traditionally seen as a supportive element to the main act.

Following the announcement of Hussain's passing, heartfelt tributes have started to come in.

Nayan Ghosh, a musician who performs on the sitar and tabla, described the news as "heartbreaking" and mentioned that he had known Hussain since they were kids, a friendship that spans six decades.

"He was a pioneer and a revolutionary figure, someone who brought tabla and Indian music to a global audience by breaking through genre barriers and motivating countless artists throughout the years," he remarked to the BBC.

Hussain was born in Mumbai in 1951 and started learning from his father, Ustad Allarakha Khan, who was a master of the tabla.

Hussain gave his first concert at the age of only seven.

"In subsequent years, his exceptional skill and artistic brilliance made him one of the most in-demand accompanists for the top Hindustani classical musicians and dancers," noted Nasreen Munni Kabir in a biography released in 2018.

In a critique of his 2009 show at Carnegie Hall in New York, the New York Times characterized him as "an exceptional skillful artist who also has a creative and playful side."

"It describes how he hardly ever comes across as too forceful, even when his fingers move so quickly they match the flutter of a hummingbird's wings," it mentioned.