Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain ‘deeply ill’, hospitalised: family

Indian tabla maestro Zakir Hussain’s sister, Khurshid Aulia, confirmed to Press Trust of India (PTI) late Sunday night that the musician was “deeply ill” and urged his fans to pray for his recovery.

Earlier, some Indian news outlets, including Filmfare and the Times of India, had reported that the four-time Grammy winner had passed away due to heart ailments. His sister, however, refuted the reports. “I will request (the media) not to spread this rumour by writing or saying that he has passed away.”

“My brother is deeply ill at this time. We are asking for all his fans around India and around the world to pray for him, to pray for his health. But as India’s greatest ever exports, do not finish him off just yet,” Aulia said, according to NDTV and the Hindustan Times, both quoting PTI.

“I just want to request all the media not to follow wrong information about Zakir’s passing. He is very much breathing at the moment. He is very very critical, but he’s still with us. He has not yet gone. I feel so bad watching all this information on Facebook which is very wrong,” she added.

After reports of his passing, several Indian politicians and celebrities had started offering their condolences. The musician has been suffering health problems and according to his friend and fellow musician Rakesh Chaurasia, Hussain was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) following heart-related issues.

The Grammy-winning musician had blood pressure issues, his manager Nirmala Bachani said. “He has been admitted to a hospital in San Francisco for a heart-related problem for the last two weeks,” The Hindu quoted her.

Earlier today, Indian journalist Pervaiz Alam shared the news of his hospitalisation on X (formerly Twitter).

“Ustad Zakir Hussain, tabla player, percussionist, composer, former actor, and the son of legendary Tabla player, Ustad Allah Rakha is not well. He’s being treated for serious ailments in a San Francisco hospital, USA, informed his brother-in-law, Ayub Aulia in a phone call with me. Aulia sahab, based in London, has requested Zakir’s followers to pray for his speedy recovery.”

Hussain is regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of all time. In February, he won three Grammy awards in the Best Global Music Performance, Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, and Best Global Music Album categories. Prior to that, he won his first-ever Grammy for Contemporary World Music Album in 2009.

Hussain was awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and in 2023 was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan — the second-highest civilian award, given for exceptional and distinguished service — by the Government of India.