By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-12-16 10:16:19 | Updated at 2024-12-16 13:36:17
3 hours ago
Indian musician Zakir Hussain, a four-time Grammy award winner credited with turning tabla drums into an instrument loved globally, has died at the age of 73, officials said on Monday.
Hussain collaborated with musicians including George Harrison from The Beatles, Mickey Hart from The Grateful Dead and jazz musician John Handy in a career spanning decades.
He died of a lung disease in the United States, local media reported, quoting a statement from his family.
Tributes poured in with fellow musician Amjad Ali Khan – who plays the Indian lutelike sarod – saying Hussain would “continue to bring the house down in the heavens”.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he would be “remembered as a true genius who revolutionised the world of Indian classical music”.
Modi said he “brought the tabla to the global stage, captivating millions with his unparalleled rhythm”.
