Zakir Hussain, who started playing the tabla at a very young age along with many great musicians, is a genius who created magic with tabla. Following in his father's footsteps, he became a well-known artist all over the world in a short span of time.

Born in Mahim, Mumbai, Zakir Hussain started showing interest in music from the age of three. His father, Alla Rakha, had recognized the magical power of those hands that had begun to play on the tables and utensils. Following in his father's footsteps on tabla, Zakir Hussain substituted for his father for a few hours in the Punjab gharana with sarod master Ustad Ali Akbar Khan at the age of seven. Later, at the age of 12, Zakir Hussain made his debut in the world of music by playing tabla independently with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan at the Bombay Press Club for one hundred rupees.

At the age of twelve, Zakir Hussain played Tabla in a two-day concert at a Dussehra festival in Patna with the great sitar player Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan and Shahnai Emperor Bismillah Khan. After completing his studies at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, Zakir Hussain performed in America in 1970 at the age of 18 with Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar. Zakir Hussain had performed concerts on more than one hundred and fifty days of the year.

Zakir Hussain has received many accolades outside India as well. US President Barack Obama had invited Zakir Hussain to participate in the All Star Global Concert held at the White House in 2016. It was the first time that a musician from India got the recognition.

Zakir Hussain has also composed music for a few films including Malayalam movie 'Vanaprastam'. Zakir Hussain also composed music for the opening ceremony of the Atlanta Olympics (1996). He has also made his presence felt in acting. He has also played lead roles in a few Bollywood films and British films. His wife is Antonia Minnecola, a famous Kathak dancer, and children are Isabella Qureshi and Anisa Qureshi.