Zahir Hussain with his tabla in the foreground, the musician died on Monday, at age 73. Photo: Supplied/Jim McGuire
Renowned Indian instrumentalist Zakir Hussain has died, aged 73.
In a statement, his manager confirmed Hussain had passed away from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in San Francisco.
Hussain was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation, and was credited with bringing Indian classical music to an international audience.
"A child prodigy, he collaborated with virtually all of India's iconic performers, including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma.
"His groundbreaking work with Western musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, Charles Lloyd, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Mickey Hart, George Harrison and John McLaughlin cemented his status as a global ambassador," the official statement said.
In an interview with RNZ Concert earlier this year, Hussain said he loved playing, and the tabla was his best friend.
Zakir Hussain: performing on stage is a happy place
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Hussain played his final two concerts in New Zealand in June, in Christchurch and Auckland.
Hussain, photographed for his New Zealand tour, this year. Photo: Supplied / Society for Performing Arts, NZ
His music danced across multiple genres, with his sound being described as transformative, a mastery of rhythm and uniquely transformative.
Hussain was a five-time Grammy award winner and had also been a recipient of the Kyoto Prize.
The first Indian to receive five Grammy awards in one night, Hussain had received his country's most prestigious honour for performing artists, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, along with multiple other accolades.
Hussain was also a prolific teacher, mentor and educator, leaving an "indelible mark on countless musicians, with a hope to inspire the next generation to go further".
He is survived by his wife, two children and three siblings.
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