Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away on Monday (December 16, 2024) in a San Francisco hospital. Hussain was 73 and succumbed to complications due to a rare and progressive lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He was in the hospital for the past two weeks and shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after his health deteriorated. Ustad Zakir Hussain has left a void that cannot be filled. While the world mourns his demise, for some, the loss is personal. Singer, composer Hariharan is devastated as he shares, “The world has lost a legend, and I have lost a brother. Zakir bhai wasn’t just a master of the tabla, he was the heartbeat of music itself.”
Sharing his feelings exclusively with BollywoodLife, he recalls how Hussain created music. “His hands could create worlds, his rhythms could tell stories, and his soul poured into every beat he played. To share a journey with him was to witness greatness wrapped in humility and love,” shares Hariharan.
The two collaborated on an album in 2013. Titled, Hazir, it has 8 ghazals on which the two worked together. Going back to the time of working with Hussain, Hariharan reveals, “He lifted everyone around him, not just with his genius, but with his warmth and boundless generosity. Our bond was built on music, laughter, and an unspoken understanding that transcended words.”
“Losing him feels like the world has lost its rhythm,” says Hariharan as he remembers his ‘Zakir Bhai’ dedicated his life to giving. “Giving to music, to people, to life itself.
That selflessness, that light, will forever stay with me and all who were blessed to know him,” shares the singing legend with a shattered heart.
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