'Can't thank George Harrison enough for straightening me out': Zakir Hussain owes career to Beatles member

Hussain who had died due to complications arising out of a lung disease - idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis - was born to legendary tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai. He was the eldest of his siblings.

Zakir Hussain, the legendary tabla maestro, passed away at a hospital in San Francisco at the age of 73 on December 15, his family announced on Monday. Hussain, who was hospitalised for the last two weeks, was in the ICU after his condition deteriorated.

Hussain died due to complications arising out of a lung disease - idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

He was born to legendary tabla player Ustad Alla Rakha on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai. He was the eldest of his siblings.

Hussain owes his career to George Harrison who was the lead guitarist and a member of the Beatles.

During a tour with sitarist Ravi Shankar, Harrison invited Hussain to the Trident Studio in London.

The invitation was to record Living in the Material World which was a follow up to Harrison's solo album - All Things Must Pass.

The legendary tabla maestro had told The National that he asked Harrison as to why isn't he playing sitar for the album.

He asked, "I remember I asked George 'Why aren't you playing sitar on this album?' and I took it a step further and said 'Why don't you play the sitar on stage?'"

"And George said to me, 'I don't want to insult my teachers by playing the sitar badly on stage. It is not my instrument, and I haven't grown up with it. But I can take that music, and I can transpose it on my guitar, which I have more control over, and offer my reverence and respect to the art form."

Hussain who was then planning to try his hands on drums, told the publication, "George looked at me and said ‘You are here because you have something unique to offer. If you want to play drums, that's fine. But then you will join the 5,000 other drummers who are waiting in line to play with me, and you will have to work your way up to get here'."

Recalling the day, the tabla legend said, "That was the day I dropped the idea of wanting to be a rock drummer and focus on making my instrument speak all the languages of rhythm that exists on this planet. I can't thank George enough for straightening me out.''

Talking to the publication, Hussain had said, "When you are on a journey, you don't know what's out there. So, you have to mould yourself to whatever is going on and go with the ebb and flow. When you are relaxed and you open up, the music comes out with thoughts of the moment, and you are able to converse and interact with players from all genres."

Hussain who was trained by his father Alla Rakha reminisced that his father was reluctant of him becoming a student asserting that one should be able to knock with authority and commitment.

He told The National, "I imagine this being quite common because a teacher does not teach the student, instead the student must extract the information and inspire the teacher to teach."