Zakir Hussain Biography: Age, Career, Early Life, Education, Filmography, Personal Life, Illness and Death, Discography, Awards

Zakir Hussain Biography

Zakir Hussain Biography – Ustad Zakir Hussain (March 9, 1951 – December 15, 2024) was an acclaimed Indian tabla virtuoso, composer, percussionist, music producer, and film actor. The eldest son of legendary tabla player Alla Rakha, he was celebrated as one of the greatest tabla maestros in history.

Zakir Hussain Early Life and Education

Born Zakir Hussain Allaraka Qureshi on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai (then Bombay), India, he completed his schooling at St. Michael’s High School in Mahim and graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Zakir Hussain Career

Zakir Hussain collaborated with numerous global artists, playing on George Harrison’s Living in the Material World (1973), John Handy’s Hard Work (1973), Van Morrison’s Into the Music (1979), and Earth, Wind & Fire’s Powerlight (1983). Longtime friend Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead invited him to contribute to the groundbreaking album Planet Drum in 1991, which won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 1992. The follow-up project, Global Drum Project, won the Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album in 2009.

In film, Zakir Hussain composed, performed, and acted, serving as the Indian music advisor for the acclaimed Malayalam film Vanaprastham (1999) and creating soundtracks for films like In Custody and The Mystic Masseur. His tabla enriched soundtracks for iconic films like Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now and Bernardo Bertolucci’s Little Buddha. He also appeared in films such as Heat and Dust (1983) and documentaries like The Speaking Hand: Zakir Hussain and the Art of the Indian Drum (2003).

As a founding member of Bill Laswell’s Tabla Beat Science and Shakti, Hussain bridged Indian classical and global music genres. In 2016, he participated in the White House’s International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert.

Zakir Hussain maintained high standards for his performances, declining to play at private events, corporate gatherings, or weddings, insisting that music should remain the focal point of any event.

Zakir Hussain Personal Life

Zakir Hussain was married to Antonia Minnecola, a Kathak dancer and teacher who also managed his career. They had two daughters: Anisa, a filmmaker, and Isabella, a dance student in Manhattan. His family included two brothers, percussionist Taufiq Qureshi and tabla player Fazal Qureshi, as well as sisters Khurshid and the late Razia, among others.

Zakir Hussain was a visiting professor at prestigious institutions such as Princeton University and Stanford University. In 2022, Mumbai University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Law (LLD) degree for his contributions to music.

Zakir Hussain Book

In 2018, Nasreen Munni Kabir released Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music, based on 15 interview sessions with Hussain, detailing his journey as a musician.

Zakir Hussain Illness and Death

Zakir Hussain battled heart issues and was hospitalized in the ICU before passing away in the USA on December 15, 2024. His death was confirmed by close friend and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia.

Zakir Hussain Awards and Honors

Among his numerous accolades, Zakir Hussain received the Padma Shri (1988), Padma Bhushan (2002), and Padma Vibhushan (2023). He also earned the Indo-American Award (1990), the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1990), and the National Heritage Fellowship (1999). He was named an Old Dominion Fellow at Princeton University and received the Kalidas Samman in 2006.

Zakir Hussain Filmography

• Heat and Dust (1983)
• Saaz (1998)
• Zakir and His Friends (1998)
• Manto (2018)
• Monkey Man (2024)

Zakir Hussain Discography

• Evening Ragas (1970)
• Shakti (1975)
• Making Music (1987)
• Tabla Duet (1988)
• Maestro’s Choice Series One (1991)

Zakir Hussain Soundtracks

• In Custody (1993)
• Vanaprastham (1999)
• The Mystic Masseur (2001)

Zakir Hussain exceptional contributions to music and global culture leave an indelible legacy.