The fingers that created magic on the tabla are now still; Ustad Zakir Hussain remembered.

Ustad Zakir Hussain, who created wonder on the tabla, is remembered. 73-year-old Zakir Hussain had been in the ICU of a hospital in San Francisco, USA, for a week due to heart-related issues. Zakir Hussain was born in Mumbai in 1951. He started performing in concerts at the age of 12 and realized even in his childhood that his path was in the world of music. He has shared stages with several Western musicians, including the legendary pop band "The Beatles."

His father, the tabla maestro Alla Rakha Khan, was the one who first taught him the lessons. In 1999, he received the prestigious United Nations Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor given to traditional artists and musicians in the United States. The country honored him with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan awards. At the recent Grammy Awards ceremony, Zakir Hussain had achieved notable accomplishments. He shared the award in the categories of Best Global Music Performance, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, and Best Global Music Album.

He has composed music for several films, including Manto, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, and Vanaprastham. He has acted in films such as Heat and Dust, The Perfect Murder, Miss Beauty's Children, and Saas. His wife is Antonia Minickol, a Kathak dancer and teacher. His children are Anis Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi.