Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan passed away today in Kolkata at the age of 55 due to prostate cancer. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced this sad news. According to reports, the musician had been undergoing treatment for his illness.
“We tried our best but failed. He passed away at around 3:45 PM,” said an official from the Kolkata-based private hospital where Khan was admitted.
“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 the chief minister during her visit to the hospital.
At the age of 11, Rashid Khan held his debut concert, followed by a performance at an ITC concert in Delhi in 1978. In April 1980, at just 14 years old, he joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA) in Calcutta when his guru Nissar Hussain Khan transitioned there. Khan’s music not only embraced classical Hindustani music but also ventured into collaborations, such as concerts with instrumentalist Louis Banks.
Possibly the last living legend of Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, Rashid Khan was recognised as the 31st generation of Sangeet Samrat Mian Tansen, as detailed on his official website.