Zakir Hussain Biography: Age, Wife, Net Worth, Height, Children, Awards, Death

Ustad Zakir Hussain Allarakha Qureshi, affectionately known simply as Zakir Hussain was a Tabla player, composer, arranger, music producer, and film actor.

He rose to global prominence as a prodigious tabla virtuoso whose lightning-fast fingerwork and musicality brought Hindustani percussion into mainstream concert halls and recordings.

He first gained widespread attention performing alongside his father, the legendary Alla Rakha, before co-founding the Indo-Western fusion ensemble Shakti in 1973, which blended Indian classical rhythms with jazz improvisation and introduced him to Western audiences.

Profile

• Full name: Zakir Hussain Allarakha Qureshi
• Date of birth: 9 March 1951
• Age: Deceased
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Bombay, Bombay State, India
• State of origin: Maharashtra
• Nationality: Indian
• Profession: Tabla player, composer, arranger, music producer, film actor
• Height: 170 cm (1.70 m; 5 ft 7 in)
• Weight: 70 kg (154 lbs)
• Eye color: Black
• Hair color: Black
• Parents: Alla Rakha (father); Bavi Begum (mother)
• Siblings: Fazal Qureshi (brother), a renowned tabla player; Taufiq Qureshi (brother), a noted percussionist; Munawar Qureshi (brother, deceased); Bilquis Qureshi (sister, deceased before his birth); Razia Qureshi (sister, deceased); Khurshid Qureshi (sister)
• Spouse: Antonia Minnecola (married 1978)
• Children: Anisa Qureshi; Isabella Qureshi
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Islam
• Ethnicity: Indian
• Net worth: $11 million

Early Life and Education

Zakir Hussain is now posthumously 74 years old.

He was born on 9 March 1951 in Bombay, where he began rigorous tabla training under his father, Ustad Alla Rakha, rising to perform publicly by age seven and touring internationally by age twelve.

He attended St. Michael’s High School in Mahim and later graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Exposed early to both Indian classical music and Western rock drumming, he credits George Harrison and jam sessions in San Francisco for shaping his fusion approach.

Personal Life

In 1978, Zakir married Italian-American Kathak dancer Antonia Minnecola, who also managed aspects of his career.

The couple have two daughters, Anisa and Isabella, both of whom have pursued professional careers outside the music industry.

Anisa graduated from UCLA and is now a filmmaker, while Isabella is studying dance in Manhattan.

Career

Zakir debuted on All India Radio broadcasts in the early 1960s alongside his father.

He co-founded Shakti in 1973 with John McLaughlin, L. Shankar and T. H. Vinayakram, pioneering Indo‑jazz fusion.

Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, he recorded landmark albums such as Making Music (1987), Planet Drum (1991) and Masters of Percussion (1994), collaborating with global artists from Mickey Hart to Yo‑Yo Ma.

He served as a cultural ambassador for Indian classical music, performing at venues from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Albert Hall, composing for film soundtracks and mentoring new generations of percussionists.

Awards

• Padma Shri (1988)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1990)
• Padma Bhushan (2002)
• National Heritage Fellowship, USA (1999)
• Padma Vibhushan (2023)
• Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy (2022)
• Four Grammy Awards (including three in 2024)

Net Worth

Zakir Hussain amassed considerable wealth from his musical performances.

His net worth was estimated at around $11 million, with concert fees reported between ₹5 lakh and ₹10 lakh per engagement.

Death

Zakir Hussain passed away on 15 December 2024 in San Francisco, California, from complications of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 73.

Social Media

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Filmography

• Heat and Dust (1983)
• The Perfect Murder (1988)
• In Custody (1994)
• Little Buddha (1994)
• Saaz (1998)
• Vanaprastham (1999)
• The Mystic Masseur (2001)
• Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (2002)
• One Dollar Curry (2003)
• Apocalypse Now (1979)

Discography

• Making Music (1987)
• Planet Drum (1991)
• Passages (1990)
• Masters of Percussion (1994)
• Distant Kin (Live) (2015)
• As We Speak (2023)