Maharashtra leaders condole Zakir Hussain’s death

India’s tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

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

Maharashtra’s new Deputy CM Eknath Shinde took to his X account to share his condolences. “The passing away of Ustad Zakir Hussain, the talented musician and tabla player who spread the rich treasure of Indian classical music across the oceans with both hands, is a loss to the entire musical world,” he said. “This loss will never be filled. It was as if the divine was contained in the combination of his tabla and dagga.”

Also Read: Zakir Hussain death LIVE updates: Tributes pour in for the tabla maestro

Speaking about his musicality, Mr. Shinde said, “He got a father and a guru like Ustad Allar Khan Saheb 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, he was as if he had settled in his fingers. He not only accompanied veteran singers and musicians, but he was probably the first Ustad to give a solo tabla concert for three hours. It must now be said that this angel who considered tabla playing to be the worship of 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 honoured with the Grammy Award three times. A final tribute to this talented rhythm king. A heartfelt tribute,” he added.

Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan took to his social media to share his tribute to Hussain. He called the musician a devoted disciple and son of the great Ustad Alla Rakha who elevated the “humble” tabla to global prominence.

“His extraordinary performance made him popular among classical purists and the broader audience, captivating all with his intense yet playful and engaging performances,” Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

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

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

“The news of the demise of renowned tabla player Padma Bhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain is heartbreaking. Zakir Hussain was known as the most famous tabla player in India, and was a multi-faceted personality.” “He established the tabla, an instrument of Indian music, on the world stage… A legend in the art world passed away today,” Mr. Pawar said.