The table maestro, Zakir Hussain, hardly needs any introduction as the legend was the pioneer figure in bridging the gap between Indian and Western music. Since the beginning of his childhood, Zakir has been introduced to music and began his career at the age of seven. By the age of 11, he was already a popular name in the music fraternity and would do world tours.
Zakir’s six-decade-long career came to an end after his untimely demise on December 16, 2024at the age of 73. As the year came to an end, the world lost one of the biggest gems from the music world. He was suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (a chronic lung disease) and was under treatment. His condition worsened, and he was shifted to the ICU, where he breathed his last.
Zakir Hussain was not just a renowned tabla player but also an actor. He acted in a few films and was hailed for his good looks. Did you know that Zakir once beat Amitabh Bachchan and was voted the sexiest man? In a conversation with Nasreen Munni Kabir for her book, Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music, Zakir talked about the same and revealed that he was voted as the ‘sexiest man’ by women readers of the Indian magazine, Gentleman in 1994.
Elaborating on the same, Zakir revealed that he was made to wear some Western clothes to feature on the cover of a magazine. In his words:
“The magazine team came to see me and wanted me to wear all these suits and jackets and Western clothes and feature on their cover. I think they were equally shocked and surprised that I won the greatest number of votes because they had assumed the winner would be Amitabh Bachchan.”
Born on March 9, 1951, to veteran table player, Ustad Alla Rakha, Zakir Hussain did his early education in Mumbai and later moved to the United States in 1970. He is the recipient of four Grammy Awards and the first musician from India to receive three Grammys at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Global Music Album, Best Global Music Performance and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
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During Zakir’s early days, he faced a lot of financial struggles, but his love for music was unwavering. He used to travel by crowded general compartments of trains in Mumbai and would carry his tabla with him. Whenever he couldn’t find a seat, he would spread the newspapers on the floor and would sleep with his tabla close to his chest. He used to do this to keep his tabla safe from passenger’s feet.
At the age of 12, Zakir accompanied his father to a musical concert, which also had many legends like Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Bismillah Khan in attendance. As Zakir performed, his talent blew everyone’s mind, and as a token of love and appreciation, he received five rupees. In an interview, he once stated:
“I have earned a lot of money in my life, but those five rupees were the most valuable.”
Zakir Hussain was a legend in every sense. His untimely death has left a vacuum in the music world.
Also Read: Why Ustadji, Zakir Hussain Kept His Hair Long? He Once Revealed The Reason For Not Getting A Haircut
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