Zakir Hussain In ‘Very Critical Condition’, His Sister Confirms Amid Death Reports

Amid the reports about the death of renowned Tabla player Zakir Hussain, his sister Khurshid Aulia says he is very much alive, but in critical condition. He was admitted to the ICU of a San Francisco hospital with heart related problems.

Khurshid Aulia also informed the media that Zakir Hussain’s wife Antonia Minnecola has expressed she will release an official statement if something happens to him or he passes away.

Zakir Hussain graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and later earned a doctoral degree in music from the University of Washington. Born on March 9, 1951, in Bombay, he learned the art of playing the tabla under his father’s guidance and began performing in concerts at the age of seven.

In 2016, Hussain became the first Indian musician to be invited to the White House by former US President Barack Obama for the All-Star Global Concert. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023 by the Government of India.

In addition to a career in music, Zakir Hussain has acted in several films.