Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain admitted to ICU in San Francisco after heart related issues

Legendary tabla player Zakir Hussain has been admitted to the ICU of a hospital in San Francisco after experiencing heart related issues, his friend and flautist Rakesh Chaurasia said on Sunday.

"He is unwell and admitted in the ICU right now. We all are worried about the situation," Chaurasia told PTI.

The 73-year-old music legend had been having blood pressure issues, said Hussain's manager Nirmala Bachani.

"He has been admitted to a hospital in San Francisco for a heart related problem for the last two weeks," Bachani said.

The Tabla maestro, the eldest son of legendary tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha, has followed in the footsteps of his father, becoming a marquee name in India and across the world.

Hussain, one of India’s most celebrated classical muscians, received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023.

He has also received five Grammy Awards in his career spanning six decades, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year.

The percussionist has worked with several renowned international and Indian artistes.

Noted Sarod maestro Aashish Khan dies

Aashish Khan, the legendary sarod maestro who popularised the instrument world over and collaborated with international musicians like George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr, has died, his family said.

The 84-year-old musician breathed his last at a hospital in Los Angeles in the US on November 15, surrounded by family, friends, and students, his brother Alam Khan said in an Instagram post.

"My eldest brother, maestro of the Sarod and khalifa of the Maihar Gharana, Ustad Aashish Khan, has passed away. He was surrounded by love from family, friends, and students in Los Angeles for the past two days at the hospital as he departed this world.

"Aashish Da was an incredible and powerful sarodist and composer whose music has inspired many musicians and listeners. He was a beloved guru and teacher to so many students around the world and he will be deeply missed," Alam Khan posted.