Archives West Finding Aid

Ustad Zakir Hussain (1951-) is a tabla player, composer, percussionist, and film actor from Mumbai, India. Hussain is the son of the well-known tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha, who taught him tabla from the age of 3. By age 7, Hussain was considered a child prodigy, and by age 11, he was touring the country. In 1970, he traveled to the United States to accompany the sitar maestro Ravi Shankar on tour. When this tour ended, Hussain remained in the United States and launched his international career. Hussian has been credited with helping raise the popularity of tabla music in the US. In 1999, he was awarded the United States National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship for his performances.