The legendary surfer dies at 73

Zakir Hussain, one of the world’s greatest tabla players, has died at the age of 73.

The Indian classical music icon died of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease, in a San Francisco hospital, his family said in a statement.

Hussain won four Grammy Awards and received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award.

Through his performances, he transformed the tabla into a globally loved solo instrument that was the star of the show.

The tabla, a pair of drums used in Indian classical music, was historically seen as an accompaniment to the main performance.

When news of Hussain’s death broke, tributes began to pour in.

Nayan Ghosh, who plays the sitar and tabla, called the news “devastating” and said her association with Hussain went back 60 years, to their childhood.

“He was a pioneer, a revolutionary, an icon who put tabla and Indian music on the world map by transcending the boundaries of the genre and inspiring generations of artists,” he told the BBC.

English guitarist John McLaughlin, who played with Hussain in the band Shakti, described him as “the King, in whose hands, rhythm became magic.” Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej called him “one of the greatest musicians and personalities India has ever produced.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “a true genius who revolutionized the world of Indian classical music.”

Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi said Hussain’s death was “a great loss to the music world”, while the US embassy in India said he was a “true maestro” and would be ” forever in our hearts.”

Born in Mumbai in 1951, Hussain began training with his father Ustad Allarakha Khan, himself a tabla master.

Hussain described growing up in an “atmosphere of music 24 hours a day.” At the age of seven, he performed in concerts with his father.

“From the age of seven, I sat on stage with Abba while he played with so many greats. It was a vivid experience for me and allowed me to absorb everything I had heard over the years,” Munni told Nasreen. Kabir, his biographer, in 2018.

As a teenager, he had the opportunity to perform with the legendary Indian sitarist and composer Pandit Ravi Shankar. At 19 years old he was already playing more than 150 concerts a year, both in India and internationally.

As his imprint grew, he contributed to the soundtracks of several films, performed solo, and collaborated with artists on the world stage.

His 1992 album Planet Drum with drummer Mickey Hart won a Grammy in the inaugural “Best World Music Album” category. He also performed with legendary artists such as George Harrison of the Beatles, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Van Morrison.

Hussain earned seven Grammy nominations, winning four of them.

Speaking to the BBC in 2016 about his global popularity, he said: “This is the appeal of music, not mine. I am a worshiper of music, putting it in front of people.”

Biographer Nasreen Munni Kabir noted that in his later years he became “one of the most sought-after accompanists of the best Hindustani classical musicians and dancers.”

But in the last 20 years, he had stopped accompanying the big names and instead played mainly with younger musicians, composer Shailaja Khanna told the BBC.

He used his star status to propel younger Indian musicians onto the world stage, he said.

“Thanks to him, the youngest people were willing to pay between 2,000 and 3,000 rupees (between $23.59 and $35.38; between £18.62 and £27.93) for a ticket, which is very unusual for performances classics”.

Hussain had previously spoken of his own “good luck” when it came to his music career.

“I’m one of those musicians who arrived on the cusp of a big change in the world of music and that wave carried me along,” he explained.

“I was lucky to establish a very slow relationship with music and, at the same time, the wave took me places.”