About Zakir Hussain
Zakir Hussain Allarakha Qureshi was an Indian tabla player, composer, percussionist, music producer, and film actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest tabla players of all time, he was known for bringing Indian classical music to a global audience. He was the eldest son of the tabla player Alla Rakha, and won four Grammy Awards.
Hussain 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 seven Grammy Award nominations, with four wins, including three in 2024. He was described as the most recognizable exponent of the tabla by The Guardian, and The New York Times marveled that the "blur of his fingers rivals the beat of a hummingbird's wings."
Zakir Hussain Allarakha Qureshi was born on 9 March 1951 in present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, to tabla master Alla Rakha Qureshi.
Hussain started performing in concerts by the age of 7 and began touring by the age of 12.
He attended St. Michael's High School in Mahim and graduated from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai.
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