Zakir Hussain matlab tabla: Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia on Ustad's death

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the legendary classical flautist, is unable to believe that Ustad Zakir Hussain has passed away at “such a young age”.

Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the legendary classical flautist and music director, is unable to believe that Ustad Zakir Hussain has passed away at “such a young age”, he tells HT City on Monday.

Ustad Zakir Hussain with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia at his Vrindavan Gurukul ashram in Mumbai during the Anubhav concert on January 10, 2024

“Jo hua bohot hi kharab hua hai. Ussey main hi nahi, duniya ke saare kalaakar bade peedit hain. Itna young ladka, chamakta tha bajane mein, chehre mein, baat-cheet mein. Pata nahi kaise itni choti umar mein bhagwan le kar chale gaye," says the 86-year-old.

Ustad Zakir Hussain performing at Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia's Vrindavan Ashram in Mumbai on Jaunary 10, 2024.

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain died in a hospital in San Francisco, US, his family said on Monday. He was 73. Hussain died from complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the family said in a statement. He had been hospitalised for the past two weeks and was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after his condition deteriorated.

Hussain and Pandit Chaurasia had met last when the tabla maestro had visited Chaurasia’s Vrindavan Gurukul for the annual Anubhav concert on January 10. “Bhaut sudar bajaya tha mere vidyarthiyon ke saath. Khub hasi-mazaak kiya tha hum logo ne. Humare samne paida huye aur itna kya naam kiya. Jaise hota hai ki koi building bina architect ke Taj Mahal ban jaaye...waise hi Taj Mahal ban gaya tha woh,” says Pandit Chaurasia.

He adds, “It has been a while since I played with him as he was working with young artistes. It was great as due to it kala aur kalakaar ka naam hota tha. Zakir Hussain matlab tabla.”

“I played with him and his father [Ustad Alla Rakha] on one stage in Mumbai. Ek baar main aur Alla Rakha baja rahe the toh unhone Zakir se tanpura bhi bajwaya in California. I am lucky I was associated with such a family. Not just in India, we have played together a lot in Japan, Europe and Canada,” Pandit Chaurasia recalls.

“I want to find out ki kaise hua. America has such wonderful doctors and they couldn’t save him? Ab jab tak unki wife se baat nahi hogi, mujhe santosh nahi hoga. But it is not right to connect with her [right now], baad mein karunga,” he concludes.