At the age of 73, the Tabla legend passed away at a San Francisco hospital. The legendary musician was renowned for being an ideal family man in addition to many other things. He still has a memorable love story with his wife, Antonia Minnecola. The couple married in 1978 and had two daughters together.
Early in the 1970s, Zakir Hussain traveled to California, USA, to meet Antonia Minnecola. The two were enrolled in professional training academies for Kathal and Tabla at the time. Minnecola first resisted Hussain’s advances for a relationship, according to sources.
In an attempt to strike up a conversation, Hussain would wait outside Minnecola’s class to get a peek of her. Soon after, the two started dating, although the latter’s father disapproved of the relationship since he thought Hussain lacked a reliable source of income. The pair got married in 1979 after dating for more than eight years.
On an episode of Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, Zakir Hussain and his spouse discussed their wedding. According to the Tabla tale, he faced strong opposition because he was the first member of his family to marry “outside his caste.” He also mentioned that his mother disapproved of the union and spent a few years away from his family. However, his father assisted the pair in getting married.
According to his family, Zakir Hussain passed away in a San Francisco hospital. According to a statement from the family, Hussain passed away as a result of difficulties brought on by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was seventy-three. After his condition worsened, he was transferred to the intensive care unit after spending the previous two weeks in the hospital. Hussain, who is considered the best tabla musician of his time, is survived by his daughters, Anisa and Isabella Qureshi, as well as his wife, Antonia Minnecola. He was born on March 9, 1951, and is the son of Ustad Alla Rakha, a renowned tabla player.
