Zakir Hussain Allarakha Qureshi (9 March 1951 – 15 December 2024), the eldest son of tabla player Alla Rakha, was an Indian tabla player, composer, arranger, percussionist, music producer and film actor. He was widely regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation and one of the greatest percussionists. His music transcended genres. He brought Indian classical music to a global audience and won four Grammy Awards.

Hussain was awarded the United States National Endowment for the Arts‘ National Heritage Fellowship, the highest award given to traditional artists and musicians. He was also given the Government of India’s Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship, Ratna Sadsya, in 2018.

Hussain received seven Grammy Award nominations with four wins, including three in 2024. He was described as the most recognizable exponent of the tabla by The Guardian. The New York Times marveled that the “blur of his fingers rivals the beat of a hummingbird’s wings.