Tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, who changed the world's music, died in San Francisco.

Tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, one of the most famous of that instrument’s proponents, died at age 73 in San Francisco on Monday from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after a protracted battle with the illness. He was in the hospital for two weeks and growing worse that he was moved to the ICU. Khurshid Aulia, his sister, said he died peacefully when he was taken off the ventilator.

Born on March 9, 1951, Hussain has often been hailed as the best tabla player of his time, a son of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha, who dedicated more than six decades to the field, creating magic for both Indian classical as well as international music circles. And he's run his collusions with artists like Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and YoYo Ma toward making Indian rhythms speak a global language, segued from their domestic traditions into Western impact.

Such a contribution to music won him four Grammys, and an endless amount of awards, including the Padma Vibhushan, in 2023. Hussain took Indian classical music and married it with jazz; a work pioneered by Hussain in the 1970s with musicians like John McLaughlin, and has left a legacy that's still talked about.

Those in the music world have been there to offer their condolences. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan describes Hussain as a ‘beacon of India’s rich musical heritage,’ while Grammy winning musician Ricky Kej described him as ‘a very humble man who was very influential.' Fans and musicians alike mourned the loss of a global ambassador remembered on social media as tributes poured in. Hussain's tabla rhythms will continue to inspire the music lovers on other continents.