Gautam Adani, Anand Mahindra, Harsh Goenka and Virendra Sehwag lead nation in paying tribute to Ustad Zakir Hussain

Condolence messages poured in on Sunday evening after reports said that tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away following hospitalisation due to heart related problems. The renowned tabla maestro had been reportedly undergoing treatment for a critical condition with in San Francisco.

PTI reported that Ustad Zakir Hussain's family had confirmed the news of his passing. 

Tribute messages have poured in from various quarters on Sunday night as politicians, sports personalities, actors and business leaders mourned Hussain.

“The news of the demise of the great tabla player Ustad Zakir Hussain ji is extremely sad. His demise is a great loss for the music world. My condolences are with his family and fans in this hour of grief. Ustad Zakir Hussain ji has left behind such a legacy of his art, which will always remain alive in our memories.,” wrote Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.

“The world has lost a rhythm it can never replace. Ustad Zakir Hussain, our maestro whose tabla beats will forever echo in the soul of India, leaves behind his inimitable form of timeless art. His legacy is an eternal taal, resonating through generations to come. RIP” wrote businessman Gautam Adani.

“The rhythm of India paused today,” added Anand Mahindra.

“The world falls silent as the tabla loses its maestro. Ustad Zakir Hussain, a rhythmic genius who brought the soul of India to global stages, has left us. I was privileged to know him because of his connection with HMV and hear him perform at our home. His beats will echo eternally,” said Harsh Goenka.

“Really sad to hear the passing away of Ustad Zakir Hussain, a true legend who gave rhythm to our hearts and soul. His tabla spoke a universal language. Heartfelt condolences to his family and well-wishers across the globe. Om Shanti,” Virender Sehwag wrote on X.

His current condition was not immediately clear — with a social media account attributed to nephew Ameer Aulia refuting claims about his demise.

"My uncle Zakir Hussain is very much alive, and we would ask the news media not to post misinformation. We ask for prayers, and we ask for everyone's well-wishes…He is in a serious condition, and we ask for all his fans around the world to pray for his health," Aulia wrote on X.

“He has been admitted to a hospital in San Francisco for a heart related problem for the last week. He is unwell and admitted in the ICU right now. We all are worried about the situation,” his friend and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia had told PTI earlier on Sunday.

The celebrated musician recently won three awards at the 66th Grammy Awards held in the United States. He received the prestigious award in the 'Best Global Music Performance' category for his work on 'Pashto'. He was also scheduled to lead the multi-city 'As We Speak' India tour in January 2025 alongside Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, and Chaurasia.

(With inputs from agencies)