Zakir Hussain reflects on nerves before performances as a sign of commitment

Zakir Hussain, a renowned Indian percussionist, passed away at 73 in a San Francisco hospital. He was celebrated for popularizing the tabla and had a career spanning over six decades, starting his performances at age seven. In a recent interview, Hussain expressed that he still felt nervous before concerts, which he viewed as a sign of commitment. He compared performance pressure to that faced by the Indian cricket team playing at home. Hussain won three Grammy Awards this year and was a founding member of the fusion group Shakti. He credited his father and contemporaries for elevating the tabla's status in music, transforming it from an accompaniment to a central instrument.