It has been reported that the revered Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain has died, aged 73. The news arrives just months after he played dates in Sydney and Melbourne.

In a statement, his family said: “His prolific work as a teacher, mentor and educator has left an indelible mark on countless musicians. He hoped to inspire the next generation to go further. He leaves behind an unparalleled legacy as a cultural ambassador and one of the greatest musicians of all time.”

Hussain’s career spanned five decades and he collaborated with musicians from across the spectrum, from Indian classical players to jazz players such as Charles Lloyd and John Handy, bluegrass artists Edgar Meyer and Béla Fleck, and songwriters such as George Harrison and Van Morrison.

Zakir Hussain (1951–2025).

Born in Mumbai in 1951, the eldest son of the esteemed tabla player Alla Rakha, Hussain was regarded as a virtuoso of the instrument. His musical upbringing began when he was just two days old, he told Limelight’s Jansson J. Antmann in an interview published earlier this year:

“My mother brought me back from the hospital after I was born and handed me...