Zakir Hussain, legendary tabla virtuoso who defied genres, dies at 73

Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain — who united musicians from diverse cultures and by doing so, shaped modern world music — died on Sunday in San Francisco. He was 73.

In a statement, his family said the cause of death was idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

“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. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time,” his family added.

Hussain’s career spanned over five decades, during which he was revered as both a national treasure in India and admired worldwide.

He defied genres and collaborated with an impressive range of musicians, including jazz saxophonist Charles Lloyd, bluegrass artists Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck, as well as rockstars George Harrison and Van Morrison. His versatility earned him the rare distinction of performing twice on NPR’s Tiny Desk — once in 2010 and then in 2023.

“You know, you come from India and you say, ‘OK, I’m representing a 3,000-year-old history,’ so you think you’re gonna teach the world about rhythms and drums and so on,” he told NPR in 2015. “And then you arrive here. You suddenly realize that you know nothing. You’re just one little dot in the painting that is the music of the universe.”

Beyond his performances, Hussain was admired for his passion to teaching Indian drumming, further spreading appreciation for the art form.

Hussain often said that his musical journey began soon after he was born in Bombay. In the 2015 NPR interview, he recalled a tradition where a father whispers a prayer into his newborn son’s ear. Instead, his father chose to sing him rhythms.

“My mother was very upset and said, ‘Why are you doing this?’ And he said, ‘Because this is my prayer,'” Hussain said.

He told NPR that it was his father’s dream for him to carry on the tradition of being an Indian classical musician. His father, Alla Rakha, was considered one of the world’s greatest player’s of tabla, a centuries-old Indian hand drum. His father taught Hussain how to play the tabla when he was 7 years old.

But his father also introduced Hussain to music from around the world, which is how Hussain fell in love with rock and Western music.

“I was the only kid on the block who was walking down the street with a boombox on my shoulder, playing as loud as I could ‘Light My Fire,'” Hussain recalled.

In 1970, at 19, Hussain traveled to the U.S. where he spent the following years working with rockstars like George Harrison, Van Morrison and Mickey Hart, the drummer from The Grateful Dead. He also played with jazz musician John Handy.

In 1973, Hussain formed the Indian jazz fusion band Shakti with jazz guitarist John McLaughlin. With its melodic and rhythm instruments, the band helped American listeners appreciate sounds and instruments beyond Western music.

In 2024, Hussain became the first musician from India to receive three Grammy awards in the same year after Shakti won Best Global Music Album, and Hussain’s collaboration with Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck featuring Rakesh Chaurasia won Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

Hussain told NPR in 2015 that throughout the course of his career, he has found similarities between rhythmists around the world — regardless of approach or style.

“We were all on the same wavelength, the same quest, looking for perfection, which we will never find. But that didn’t matter because it’s all about the journey — not the goal,” he said.

NPR’s Felix Contreras contributed reporting.