Mumbai, March 10 – On the late tabla maestro Zakir Hussain’s 75th birth anniversary on Tuesday, singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan penned a heartfelt note celebrating their long musical association, saying he feels blessed to have spent 25 years playing, traveling, and learning from the legendary percussionist.
Mahadevan shared a picture featuring himself and the late tabla maestro on Instagram. In the image, Zakir Hussain could be seen tying a band on Mahadevan’s hand.
Mahadevan captioned the post: “I am so blessed to have spent 25 years playing, traveling, and learning from him… my musical journey would have been nothing without him! Happy 75th birthday @zakirhq9… you are always there with us! Love you.”
Ustad Zakir Hussain Qureshi was the eldest son of the esteemed tabla player Alla Rakha. He was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation and one of its finest percussionists.
He was awarded the United States National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians. He was also awarded the Government of India’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya, in 2018. Hussain received nine Grammy Award nominations, winning four times, including three in 2024.
Hussain died at the age of 73 in December 2024 in California, from complications related to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Talking about Mahadevan, who is part of the Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy trio that creates music for Indian films. He gained early fame as an Indi-pop star with his fusion of Carnatic, Hindustani, and Jazz music. At that time, his non-film album, "Breathless," topped the Indian music charts in 1998. He won one Grammy Award and received three nominations.
Mahadevan has lent his vocal prowess and compositions to many Bollywood songs that blend classical depth with modern energy, including "Mitwa" from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, "Kajra Re" from Bunty Aur Babli, and "Gallan Goodiyaan" from Dil Dhadakne Do, among others.