Legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away on Monday at the age of 73, after a battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. His family announced the heartbreaking news, revealing that Hussain breathed his last in a hospital in San Francisco.
According to reports, Zakir was hospitalized for the last two weeks, and later, when his condition worsened, he was moved to the intensive care unit. As soon as the news surfaced on the internet, tributes started pouring in for him on X (formerly called Twitter), who were top politicians, industrialists, sportspersons, and Bollywood personalities.
Zakir Hussain was known for his extraordinary contributions to Indian classical music. His virtuosity and unmatched talent earned him praise from across the globe. His legacy as a tabla master will continue to inspire upcoming musicians and music lovers for generations to come.
Zakir Hussain suffered pulmonary fibrosis, what is it?
Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious lung disease that affects the respiratory system. The condition scars and thickens lung tissue. It majorly impacts the connective tissue in the lung and the alveoli (air sacs inside the lungs), according to the Cleveland Clinic.
In this condition, the lung damage gradually gets worse over time; the main problem occurs when the hard and stiff lung tissues do not expand as well as they should, making it difficult to breathe. Pulmonary fibrosis may lead to shortness of breath while doing any daily activity in life.
What is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis that Zakir Hussain suffered from?
As per the report of Cleveland Clinicidiopathic is a medical term that is used when the experts cannot determine what caused a condition. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most common type of interstitial lung disease.
Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis
- Breathing in short, shallow spurts.
- Dry cough that doesn’t go away.
- Extreme tiredness or fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained weight loss.
Tributes for Zakir Hussain flood on social media
As soon as the news surfaced on the internet, the social media was flooded with tributes to table maestro Zakir Hussain. From political leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi wrote, “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.”
Communications minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia wrote, “The Bol of Zakir Hussain Ji’s tabla spoke a universal language, transcending borders, cultures and generations.”
The lyrics of Zakir Hussain Ji’s tabla spoke a universal language, transcending borders, cultures and generations.
This clip defines how we will remember him, and celebrate his legacy. The sound & vibrations of his rhythm will echo in our hearts forever. Will always echo, Wow Taj!
My… pic.twitter.com/duGIHgnTYY
— Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (@JM_Scindia) December 15, 2024
Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra wrote, “The rhythm of India paused today…”.
The rhythm of India paused today…
In tribute.
#ZakirHussain
pic.twitter.com/eknPqw4uKM— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) December 15, 2024
Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India posted, “The news of the demise of renowned tabla player Padma Vibhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain ji is extremely sad. My heartfelt tribute to him. Zakir Hussain ji’s demise is an irreparable loss to the art-music sector of the country. Art His dedication and contribution towards his art will always be remembered. May God give peace to his departed soul and strength to his family and fans. Om Shanti!”
The news of the demise of renowned tabla player Padma Vibhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain ji is extremely sad. My heartfelt tribute to him. Zakir Hussain ji’s demise is an irreparable loss to the art-music sector of the country.
He has an unprecedented contribution in the field of art. His dedication towards his art and his…
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) December 15, 2024
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