Zakir Hussain Married For Love, And Had A ‘Creative Family’; All You Need To Know About His Wife and Daughters

Zakir Hussain Death:  Ustad Zakir Hussain passed away on 15 December due to health complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. A legend etched in the history of the global music and art industry, he has been a passionate lover and father as well.

His death leaves behind his wife Antonia Minnecola and two daughters named Isabella and Anisa Qureshi. Much about his professional milestones has been said and written, but his personal life was nothing short of an inspiration either. Take a look at his love story with his wife, and support and encouragement to his daughters’ creative ventures. 

 

 

 

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Zakir Hussain Married For Love  

Zakir Hussain was not just a lively soul on stage, but also a brave lover at heart. On Rendezvous with Simi Garewa, he unveiled that he was the first person in his family to marry out of his caste, which also led to his mother not accepting his marriage initially but fear does not exist where love dwells. 

 

 

 

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Antonia Minnecola is a Kathak dancer and also his manager. The two first met during their formal training in respective fields in the Bay Area of California. The beginning of their forever did require more persuasion from Hussain who used to wait outside Minnecola’s classes to get to her good books. 

Minnecola’s father was not in favor of her marrying a musician as they had no stable income. But after eight years of dating, the two finally exchanged vows in 1979.

The two have two daughters together named Isabella and Anisa who have been carrying forward the creative and performative art talents of their parents. 

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Who are Zakir Hussain’s daughters?

Zakir Hussain is survived by two daughters, Anisa and Isabella Qureshi, both born and brought up in San Francisco.

Anisha Qureshi, the elder daughter of the maestro is a 39-year-old filmmaker and a mother of a 9-year-old Zara. She is a UCLA graduate with four independent features to her credit. 

 

 

 

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His younger daughter, Isabella took the footsteps of her mother as a dancer and choreographer. The 37-year-old is a trained Western dancer and is reported to have a degree in dance and new media from Manhattan. 

Talking about his family in a 2015 interview with Mumbai Mirror, he revealed that both of his daughters can sing and play piano. He underscored, “We are a creative family that way” as he wished.