Ustad Zakir Hussain Birthday: Lesser-known facts about the tabla maestro

Ustad Zakir Hussain is an Indian tabla virtuoso, composer, percussionist and music producer.

Born on March 9, 1951, Zakir Hussain is the eldest son of tabla player Ustad Allah Rakha. In 1988, he was awarded the Padma Shri and in 2002, he received the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. He was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, given by the Sangeet Natak Academy, India's National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama.

In 1999, he was awarded the United States National Endowment for the Arts' National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians.

On Hussain's birthday, here's a look at some lesser-known facts about the music maestro:

- Zakir Hussain's original family name is Qureshi, but he was given the surname Hussain.

- He gave his first concert at the age of 7, and he had started touring by the age of 11.

- Zakir Hussain marked his film debut in the year 1989 with ‘Heat and Dust’. He not only acted in the film but also composed music for it.

- He was the first Indian musician to be invited to the White House by the former US president Barack Obama to attend the All-Star Global Concert.

- Zakir Hussain married Italian American Kathak dancer, Antonia Minnecola in 1978. The couple has two daughters.