'He was surrounded by family and loved ones': Official statement confirms Zakir Hussain's demise

In Pic: Zakir Hussain

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away early Monday morning in San Fransico, US, confirmed family representative. The 73-year-old multiple Grammy Award winner died due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at 5.12 am.

"I can confirm that Zakir passed away surrounded by family and loved ones at UCSF Parnassus," Hussain's family representative Jon Bleicher told mid day. He is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola; his daughters, Anisa Qureshi (her husband, Taylor Phillips, and their daughter, Zara) and Isabella Qureshi; his brothers, Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi; and his sister, Khurshid Aulia.

The family's official statement read, "He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come. 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 requests privacy at this time."

Hussain was admitted to the hospital last week. His health remained critical through Sunday night. While several news outlets and government handles claimed at night itself that the maestro had passed away, his sister Khurshid had spoken to mid-day that he was alive till he was breathing.

Widely considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement, Zakir Hussain's contributions were uniquely transformative. His unique mastery of rhythm allowed him to cross borders freely and create authentic connection between different genres of music. He participated in many historic collaborations, including Shakti (which he founded with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar), Remember Shakti, Making Music, The Diga Rhythm Band, Planet Drum and Global Drum Project with Mickey Hart, Tabla Beat Science, and Sangam with Charles Lloyd and Eric Harland.

His performances and recordings include collaborations with artists as diverse as George Harrison, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Henderson, Van Morrison, Airto Moreira, Pharoah Sanders, Billy Cobham, Alonzo King, Mark Morris, Rennie Harris and the Kodo drummers. His extraordinary contributions to the music world were honored in April 2009 with four widely heralded, sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall's Artist Perspective series.

Zakir Hussain's extraordinary global impact was recognized with the highest honors that can be given in the world of music. His contributions "to the cultural and spiritual betterment of mankind", were acknowledged in 2022 with his awarding of the Kyoto Prize. In India, he received the Padma Vibhushan, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri. He was also a recipient of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India's most prestigious honor for performing artists, and later the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, a lifetime honor awarded to only 40 artists at a time.