Renowned tabla player Ustad Zakir Hussain is no more. He was 73 years old at the time of his death. A few days ago, he was admitted to a hospital in San Francisco, USA, due to his deteriorating health. He passed away while undergoing treatment. He was admitted to the hospital due to heart and blood pressure problems. He had been admitted to the hospital for the last two weeks. Zakir Hussain’s family informed about his death this morning. Ustad Zakir Hussain is a renowned Indian tabla player, composer, and percussionist, famous for his contributions to Hindustani classical music and for his role in spreading Indian music across the world.
Zakir Hussain Family.Zakir Hussain married to Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher, who also served as his manager. Antonia, an Italian-American, met Zakir in California’s Bay Area in the late 1970s when she was in the early stages of her dance training. The couple had two daughters, Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Anisa, the elder daughter, graduated from UCLA and is now a filmmaker, known for ‘3:10 to Yuma’ (2007), ‘Mr. Woodcock’ (2007), and ‘Just Like Heaven’ (2005). The younger daughter, Isabella, is currently studying dance in Manhattan. Hussain had two brothers: Taufiq Qureshi, a percussionist, and Fazal Qureshi, a tabla player. Their other brother, Munawar, tragically passed away at a young age following an attack by a rabid dog.
Zakir Hussain was born on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai, India. He is the son of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. His musical career began at a tender age. He was just seven when he started playing the tabla and, at twelve, already gave his first concerts.
