Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain laid to rest in US; India’s Consul General in San Francisco pays tribute

SAN FRANCISCO: Renowned tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, who passed away at the age of 63 in San Francisco on December 15, was laid to rest on Thursday. The last rites of Zakir Hussain were performed at Fernwood Cemetery, Mill Valley, near San Francisco.

On behalf of the government and people of India, Consul General of India in San Francisco, K Srikar Reddy, paid tribute by draping the mortal remains of Ustad Zakir Hussain with the Indian national flag. Reddy offered condolences to his wife, Antonia Minnecola and his family members and read out the condolence message shared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X.

In a post on X, Consulate General of India in San Francisco stated, “On behalf of the Government and people of India, Consul General Dr.K.Srikar Reddy paid tribute by draping the mortal remains of the Ustad Zakir Hussain with the Indian national flag, offered condolences to his wife Ms. Antonia Minnecola and his family members, and read out the condolence message [tweet] of Hon’ble PM. Around 300 persons, including his family, friends, musicians (Sivamani and others), music lovers, and diaspora members, paid their last respects”.

The mortal remains of legendary Tabla maestro and Padma Vibhushan awardee Ustad Zakir Hussain were laid to rest this afternoon at Fernwood Cemetery, Mill Valley, near San Francisco. On behalf of the Government and people of India, Consul General Dr.K.Srikar Reddy paid tribute by… pic.twitter.com/JridnCHluv

— India in SF (@CGISFO) December 20, 2024

Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away on Sunday, December 15. The legendary musician had been receiving treatment for heart-related complications in the ICU of a San Francisco hospital for the past two weeks.

The cause of death was confirmed to be idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease. The news was confirmed by Jon Bleicher of Prospect PR, representing the family. The demise of Padma Vibhushan awardee left the music world and his countless admirers in profound grief, with tributes and condolences pouring in from across the globe.

Born on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai, India, Zakir Hussain was the son of the iconic tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha. From a young age, he displayed a remarkable affinity for the tabla, quickly gaining recognition for his exceptional talent.

By the time he was a teenager, Zakir was already performing alongside some of the greatest Indian classical musicians. Throughout his career, Ustad Zakir Hussain collaborated with some of the most iconic names in both traditional Indian and global music scenes.

He worked with legends such as Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Vilayat Khan and was a key figure in creating international fusion bands like Shakti with guitarist John McLaughlin and Planet Drum with Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart.

His collaboration on the Planet Drum album also earned him a Grammy Award. Zakir Hussain’s contributions to music were recognized by numerous prestigious awards over the years, including the Padma Shri (1988) and Padma Bhushan (2002) from the Indian government, as well as four Grammy Awards. (ANI)