A year after Ustad Zakir Hussain fell silent, his legacy continues to resonate in concert halls, classrooms, collaborations and collective memory. Few musicians have so completely redefined an instrument, fewer still have carried a tradition across continents without diluting its soul. Zakir Hussain did both, and more. He transformed the tabla from accompanist to global voice—eloquent, conversational and profoundly humane.

Born in Bombay on 9 March 1951, Zakir Hussain was immersed early in the rigorous discipline of the Punjab gharana. As the son of legendary Ustad Alla Rakha, what distinguished Zakir was not lineage alone but an extraordinary capacity to absorb, question and transcend tradition. Performing publicly as a child prodigy, he matured into an artist whose virtuosity never overshadowed his humility or respect for the classical canon.

Zakir Hussain’s genius lay in his ability to converse across cultures without abandoning his roots. His collaborations with John McLaughlin of Shakti reimagined the possibilities of Indo-jazz fusion, while Planet Drum with Mickey Hart won a Grammy. Later experiments such as Tabla Beat Science fused classical tala with electronic and contemporary soundscapes, making the tabla intelligible—and irresistible—to new generations. Imagination, discipline and grace were part of the universal language he spoke.

Yet, even at the height of global acclaim, Zakir remained a purist at heart. His solo performances, leavened with wit and wisdom, were masterclasses in layakari and aesthetics. Innovation, he suggested, need not come at the cost of authenticity.

Beyond performance, Zakir Hussain was a tireless advocate of Indian music as a living, evolving tradition. His compositions—most notably the Peshkar Concerto for tabla and orchestra—challenged Western orchestral forms to accommodate Indian rhythmic intelligence.

As a teacher at some of the most prestigious universities in the United States, he shaped generations of students, many encountering Indian classical music for the first time through his pedagogy. Whether performing his music for connoisseurs or explaining its philosophy to young learners, he was an articulate and accessible cultural ambassador.

Closer home, Zakir Hussain’s association with the Indian Music Group (IMG) of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, remains etched in institutional memory. His regular participation in the college’s annual JanFest—alongside Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Alla Rakha, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Pandit Shivkumar Sharma—turned a student initiative into a platform for classical excellence. That his brothers—Taufiq Qureshi, a co-founder of IMG, and Fazal Qureshi—were Xavierites only deepened this living legacy of music, mentorship and generosity.

Zakir Hussain’s cultural presence extended beyond music. He appeared in Ivory–Merchant productions such as The Householder, and became a familiar face to millions through the iconic ‘Wah Taj’ advertisement. These ventures never trivialised his art; instead, they reflected his belief that classical music belonged not to the elite, but to everyone.

Zakir Hussain is survived by his wife, the distinguished Kathak dancer Antonia Minnecola and their daughters. But a much larger community considers him their own—friends, students, collaborators and countless listeners.

On his first death anniversary, we remember not only a tabla maestro, but a builder of bridges between traditions, cultures and generations. In an increasingly fractured world, his music remains a reminder that harmony is possible.

Wah Ustad!

Hasnain Naqvi is a former member of the history faculty at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai