Zakir Hussain, Tabla Maestro
Tabla Maestro

Zakir Hussain

Born 9 March 1951 · Maharashtra — Died 15 December 2024

Popularized Indian classical tabla music globally and collaborated with international musicians from the 1970s onward.

Ustad Zakir Hussain Qureshi was an Indian tabla player, composer, arranger, percussionist, music producer and film actor who was based for much of his career in the San Francisco Bay Area. The eldest son of esteemed tabla player Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation and one of its finest percussionists. He produced music across multiple genres and contributed to popularizing Indian classical music to a global audience.

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A detail that
surprised us

“

In his youth, Zakir Hussain often protected his tabla by holding it on his lap while sleeping on train floors during tours, showing early devotion to his instrument.

The Story

1
🎶 In 1958, at just seven years old in Bombay, Zakir Hussain began playing tabla concerts, already showcasing a precocious skill nurtured by his father, Ustad Alla Rakha.
2
By age 12, Zakir was touring India, often sleeping on train floors with his tabla carefully guarded on his lap, a testament to his early dedication despite harsh conditions.
3🌍 In 1975, Zakir co-founded the fusion band Shakti with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar, blending Indian classical rhythms with jazz, which introduced tabla to Western audiences.
4In 1992, Zakir founded Moment! Records, a label dedicated to contemporary world music collaborations, highlighting his commitment to evolving Indian percussion traditions.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Vibhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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At age 12, Zakir Hussain toured India, often sleeping on train floors and using newspapers as bedding, while always protecting his tabla on his lap.

🖼️

Through the Years

3 photographs from the archives
Ustad Zakir Hussain seated among musicians at Tal Vadya Utsav in India (2010)
Ustad Zakir Hussain seated among musicians at Tal Vadya Utsav in India (2010)
2010
Ustad Zakir Hussain with Hariprasad Chaurasia during a musical event (2012)
Ustad Zakir Hussain with owners Almaz and Satyajit in a recent gathering (2023)

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth in Bombay
Zakir Hussain was born in Bombay, Maharashtra, into a family of tabla players, beginning his exposure to classical music.
1951
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Career
First tabla concerts at age 7
Zakir began performing tabla concerts in Bombay, trained intensively by his father Ustad Alla Rakha.
1958
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Career
Co-founds Shakti band
Zakir Hussain partnered with John McLaughlin and L. Shankar to blend Indian classical music with jazz, touring internationally.
1975
⚡
Career
Launches Moment! Records
Zakir founded his own record label to promote contemporary world music and live classical Indian performances.
1992
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Career
Joins Princeton University faculty
Zakir Hussain became a full professor teaching Indian classical music and dance at Princeton University.
2005
🕊️
Death
Death in San Francisco
Zakir Hussain passed away at age 73 due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, concluding over six decades of musical innovation.
2024
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Zakir Hussain founded Moment! Records in 1992 to release live concert performances and collaborations in contemporary world music.

02 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 2005-2006, Zakir was a full professor at Princeton University, teaching Indian classical music and dance, a rare academic position for a performing artist.

03 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Zakir Hussain’s tabla was featured in film soundtracks such as Little Buddha (1993) and Vanaprastham (1999), linking Indian percussion with cinema.

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"You have to stay very close to your tradition, but also be able to inject some of what the world has to offer."

— Zakir Hussain

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Zakir Hussain’s rare 1980 interview: ‘I heard tabla when I was two days old’ | BBC Archives
·YouTube
More from this archive
Zakir Hussain’s rare 1980 interview: ‘I heard tabla when I was two days old’ | BBC Archives
01
Zakir Hussain’s rare 1980 interview: ‘I heard tabla when I was two days old’ | BBC Archives
YouTube
Ustad Zakir Hussain telling about principles of rhythm in Hindustani music | Ustad Sultan Khan.
02
Ustad Zakir Hussain telling about principles of rhythm in Hindustani music | Ustad Sultan Khan.
YouTube
Guftagu By Javed Akhtar With Legendary Indian Tabla Player Zakir Hussain @zeetv
03
Guftagu By Javed Akhtar With Legendary Indian Tabla Player Zakir Hussain @zeetv
YouTube
Sadhana - Ustad Zakir Hussain
04
Sadhana - Ustad Zakir Hussain
YouTube
Hello DD | Ustad Zakir Hussain | हैलो डीडी | उस्ताद ज़ाकिर हुसैन | Ep 09
05
Hello DD | Ustad Zakir Hussain | हैलो डीडी | उस्ताद ज़ाकिर हुसैन | Ep 09
YouTube
2001 inDialog interview with Zakir Hussain Part 1
06
2001 inDialog interview with Zakir Hussain Part 1
YouTube
Ustad Zakir Hussain describing tabla composition I Live at BCMF 2015
07
Ustad Zakir Hussain describing tabla composition I Live at BCMF 2015
YouTube
A rare interview of young Ustad Zakir Hussain - A Tabla Maestro
08
A rare interview of young Ustad Zakir Hussain - A Tabla Maestro
YouTube
[EXCLUSIVE] FULL BEHIND THE SCENES OF ZAKIR HUSSAIN WORLD TOUR
09
[EXCLUSIVE] FULL BEHIND THE SCENES OF ZAKIR HUSSAIN WORLD TOUR
YouTube
USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN INTERVIEW with SNBP Students #ustadzakirhussain #zakirhussain
10
USTAD ZAKIR HUSSAIN INTERVIEW with SNBP Students #ustadzakirhussain #zakirhussain
YouTube

🌱 What changed because of them

Zakir Hussain transformed the tabla from a traditional Indian instrument into a global voice by collaborating with international musicians and founding Moment! Records to promote world music fusion. His academic roles at institutions like Princeton and Stanford helped institutionalize Indian classical music studies abroad. Through film compositions and performances, he introduced Indian percussion into popular culture, influencing generations of musicians worldwide.

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