Context:

Recently, Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away due to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). 

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)

It is a chronic, progressive lung disease characterized by scarring (fibrosis) of the lung tissue, leading to irreversible loss of lung function.

Our lungs are made up of millions of air sacs known as alveoli through which exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is carried out.

In IPF, alveoli and surrounding tissues thicken and stiffen, losing elasticity, which hinders oxygen exchange.

Pulmonary fibrosis is an interstitial lung disease. 

• Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are a group of conditions characterised by inflammation or scarring or both that damage the ability of the lung to absorb oxygen from the air.

The word “idiopathic” means “of unknown cause,” named after the progressive fibrosing interstitial pneumonia that occurs of unknown cause.

This disease occurs more in older adults.

Symptoms: A bothersome cough, fatigue, depression, anxiety, etc.

Diagnosis: Multiple Pulmonary Tests which include pulmonary function tests, a chest x-ray, blood work, and a high-resolution CT scan.

About Zakir Hussain 

He was born on 9th March 1951 in Mahim (Mumbai) and was the son of the tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha. 

Zakir Hussain is appreciated both in the field of percussion and music in general at the international level and is considered an esteemed and influential musician from India. 

• Percussion is a method of tapping body parts with fingers, hands, or small instruments as part of a physical examination.

He is known for his deep understanding of both Hindustani classical music and various global musical traditions.

In 1973, he co-founded Shakti with guitarist John McLaughlin, a group that fused Indian classical music with jazz and Western traditions, creating a new global sound.

Awards and Honours: 

• Zakir Hussain one of India's most celebrated classical musicians, received the Padma Shri in 1988, the Padma Bhushan in 2002, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2023. 
• He was also a recipient of the Government of India's Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1990, and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2018. 
• Grammy Awards: Zakir Hussain has received four Grammy Awards in his career, including three at the 66th Grammy Awards earlier this year. 
• On 8 February 2009 for the 51st Grammy Awards, Hussain won the Grammy in the Contemporary World Music Album category 
• On 4 February 2024, Hussain received three awards at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards.