Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain passes away

 Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain passes away

Renowned tabla maestro Padma vibhushan Zakir Hussain died in the US. He was 73. Hussain suffered from heart-related problems and was admitted to the ICU of a San Francisco hospital earlier. The musician was the son of Ustad Alla Rakha Khan. Hussain had started playing tabla at age seven. He had received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.

The musician was hospitalised in the US due to serious health concerns.

Zakir Hussain, the peerless North Indian tabla player, favors an impish strain of virtuosity. He's a fearsome technician and devoted to exuberant play. 

The Bombay-born eldest son of legendary tabla player Allah Rakha, Zakir Hussain followed in the footsteps of his father, becoming a marquee name in India and across the world.

Once narrating the story of his first booking, the percussionist said a letter came to their house offering a concert date to his father. Zakir wrote back saying that his father would not be able to accept the engagement but that his son was available. However, he didn't mention in the letter that he was only 13. It worked, and his musical career was under way.