(Web Desk) – Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain passes away at 73 in the US.
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.
Tributes started pouring in shortly after the news of his death broke out.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi paid rich tribute as he said the tabla player will "remain alive in our memories".
Zakir Hussain, the son of renowned tabla player Allah Rakha, carried on his family's legacy and established himself as a prominent figure in India.
Over a career lasting six decades, the musician collaborated with numerous acclaimed international and Indian artists.
However, it was his 1973 musical project with English guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L Shankar, and percussionist T. H. 'Vikku' Vinayakram that fused Indian classical music with elements of jazz in a groundbreaking manner.
This collaboration introduced a new genre of music that was unprecedented at the time.
The percussionist was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.