Veteran classical singer Ustad Rashid Khan passes away in Kolkata

Veteran classical singer Ustad Rashid Khan passed away in Kolkata aged 55.

He was laid to rest on Wednesday with full state honours.

As a part of the singer’s final rites, he received a gun salute in Kolkata.

Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan, who was undergoing treatment at a Kolkata-based hospital for prostate cancer, passed away on Jan 9 afternoon, officials said.

“We tried our best but failed. He passed away at around 3:45 PM,” said an official from the Kolkata-based private hospital.

The classical singer is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.

Music maestro Rashid Khan has been considered as the possible last living legend of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana.

Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Budaun in India, Rashid Khan was a great-grandson of Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, the founder of the Rampur Sehaswan gharana.

He emerged as a star of classical music after the first concert he performed at the age of 7. That was followed by a performance at an ITC concert in Delhi in 1978.

In April 1980, at just 14 years old, Rashid Khan joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) in Calcutta when his guru Nissar Hussain Khan transitioned there.

Rashid Khan has also given beautiful songs to Bollywood such as Jab We Met’s “Aaoge Jab Tum Saajna”, My Name is Khan’s “Allah Hi Rahem”, Mausam’s “Poore se Zara Sa” and many more.

“This is a great loss for the entire country and the entire music fraternity. I am in a lot of pain as I still can’t believe that Rashid Khan is no more,” expressed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during her visit to the hospital.

Tributes and condolences continue to pour in for Ustad Rashid Khan, who has been recognised as the 31st generation of Sangeet Samrat Mian Tansen.