This viral video does not show Ustad Zakir Hussain performing with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

The artist in the viral video is not Ustad Zakir Hussain, but rather a Pakistani tabla player named Tari Khan.

Legendary tabla maestro Zakir Hussain passed away in a San Francisco hospital due to complications with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis on 16 December 2024. Following his demise, a video of late Pakistani singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan performing next to a tabla player has been going viral on social media, with people recognizing the latter as late tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain.

The caption states, “NFAK AND ZAKIR HUSSAIN JUST HAVE A LOOK ON THIS INSANITY. He was the last of legends”.

#ZakirHussain #legend #forever

Let’s check the truth

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Fact Check- 

We started our investigation with a reverse image search on Google and the results led us to an extended version of a similar video uploaded on YouTube on 31 October with a caption that said, “Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Ustad Tari Khan Live In Washington DC and many more”. At the beginning of the video, the late singer introduced the tabla player as Abdul Sattar Tari. The segment featured in the viral video can be found in this video at around the timestamp of 4:42. The only difference is the viral video is in black and white tones not in colour.

Moving forward, we found an article, published in website named ‘Nusrat Online Blog’,  titled ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan & Ustad Tari Khan” a few awesome Jugalbandi ” Part 1.’ It featured an image similar to the visuals seen in the viral video and stated “What we present today is some of the awesome Jugalbandis between NFAK (Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) & Tari Khan during 1992-1994 in the USA .” 

Ustad Tari Khan is a renowned Pakistani tabla artist and the performance in the viral video is from 2011 when he performed with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in Washington DC.

So, taking account of all these evidences, we can understand that this viral video does not show Ustad Zakir Hussain performing in a concert with the Pakistani singer Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Conclusion- 

Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be False. The artist in the viral video is not Ustad Zakir Hussain, but rather a Pakistani tabla player named Tari Khan.