Maharashtra leaders condole Zakir Hussain’s death

Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain. file | Photo courtesy: Reuters

Several leaders from Maharashtra condoled the death of tabloid player Zakir Hussain in a San Francisco hospital on Monday (December 16, 2024) morning.

Maharashtra’s new Deputy CM Eknath Shinde took to his X account to share his condolences. He said, “The demise of Ustad Zakir Hussain, a talented musician and tabla player who spread the rich treasury of Indian classical music across the oceans with both hands, is a loss to the entire music world.” “This loss will never be compensated. It seemed as if God had merged into the combination of his tabla and dagga.”

Also read: Live updates of Zakir Hussain’s death: Tributes paid to tabla player

Speaking about his musicality, Mr. Shinde said, “He had a father and guru like Ustad Allar Khan Sahab at home. The Qureshi family was like a star in the world of music. From bhajans to the difficult rules and unusual rhythms of the tabla, it seems as if he has settled them in his fingers. Not only did he accompany veteran singers and musicians, he was probably the first maestro to give a three-hour solo tabla concert. Now it has to be said that this angel who considered playing Tabla as worship of Goddess Saraswati came to earth. Many will come, many will come, but this is the truth.”

“Along with classical music, he had also mastered the rhythms of western rock and pop music. That is why he was honored with the Grammy Award three times. A final tribute to this talented rhythm emperor. A heartfelt tribute,” he added.

Governor CP Radhakrishnan shared his tribute to Hussain on his social media. He described the musician as a devoted disciple and son of the great maestro Allah Rakha, who elevated the “humble” tabla to global prominence.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said, “Her extraordinary performances made her popular among classical purists and a wider audience, she enthralled everyone with her intense yet playful and charming performances.”

Radhakrishnan said, “Hussain had become a household name in Indian classical music.”

NCP’s Sharad Pawar also expressed grief over Hussain’s demise and said the country has lost one of its most loved and cherished cultural icons.

“The news of the demise of renowned tabla player Padma Bhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain is heart-wrenching. Zakir Hussain was known as India’s most famous tabla player and was a versatile personality.” Mr Pawar said, “He established the Indian musical instrument tabla on the world stage… A great personality of the art world passed away today.”