Ustad Rashid Khan (1 July 1968 – 9 January 2024) was an Indian classical musician in the Hindustani tradition. He belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and was the great-grandson of gharana founder Inayat Hussain Khan.[1][2][3]
Rashid Khan | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Khan performing at Bharat Bhavan in 2015 | |
| Born | 1 July 1968 Sahaswan, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Died | 9 January 2024 (aged 55) Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Occupation | Classical vocalist |
| Years active | 1977–2024 |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan (2022) Padma Shri (2006) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Hindustani classical music |
He was awarded the Padma Shri, as well as the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2006. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2022 by the Indian Government in the field of Art.[4]
Early life
editRashid Khan was born in Sahaswan, Badayun, Uttar Pradesh on 1 July 1968.[2] He received his initial training from his maternal grand-uncle, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan (1909–1993).[2] He was also the nephew of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.[5]
As a child he had little interest in music.[2] His uncle Ghulam Mustafa Khan was among the first to note his musical talents, and for some time trained him in Mumbai. However, he received his main training from Nissar Hussain Khan, initially at his house in Badayun. A strict disciplinarian, Nissar Hussain Khan would insist on voice training (Swar Sadhana) from four in the morning, and make Rashid practise one note of the scale for hours on end.[2][3][1] A whole day would be spent on practising just a single note. Although Rashid detested these lessons as a child, the disciplined training showed in his easy mastery of taan and layakaari later. It was not until he was 18 that Rashid began to truly enjoy his musical training.[2][3]
Career
editRashid Khan gave his first concert at age eleven,[3] and the following year, in 1978, he performed at an ITC concert in Delhi. In April 1980, when Nissar Hussain Khan moved to the ITC Sangeet Research Academy (SRA), Calcutta, Rashid Khan also joined the academy at the age of 14.[1] By 1994, he was acknowledged as a musician (a formal process) at the academy. He later became one of the 'scholar musicians' there and was called a guru and a part of the teaching faculty at the Academy from 1994 to 1998.[1]
Musical style
editThe Rampur-Sahaswan gayaki (style of singing) is closely related to the Gwalior gharana, which features medium-slow tempos, a full-throated voice and intricate rhythmic play. Rashid Khan included the slow elaboration in his vilambit khayals in the manner of his maternal grand-uncle and also developed exceptional expertise in the use of sargams and sargam taankari (play on the scale). He was influenced by the style of Amir Khan and Bhimsen Joshi but chose not to imitate them and created his own unique style of singing.[2]
He was also a master of the tarana like his guru but sang them in his own manner, preferring the khayal style rather than the instrumental stroke-based style for which Nissar Hussain was famous. There was no imitation of instrumental tone.
His renderings stood out for the emotional overtones in his melodic elaboration. He said: "The emotional content may be in the alaap, sometimes while singing the bandish, or while giving expression to the meaning of the lyrics."[3] This brought a touch of modernity to his style, as compared to the older maestros, who tended to place greater emphasis on impressive technique and skilful execution of difficult passages.
Rashid Khan also experimented with fusing pure Hindustani music with lighter musical genres, e.g. in the Sufi fusion recording Naina Piya Se (songs of Amir Khusro), or in experimental concerts with western instrumentalist Louis Banks.[3] He also performed jugalbandis, along with sitarist Shahid Parvez and others.[6]
Illness and death
editRashid Khan died on 9 January 2024, at a private hospital in Kolkata. He had been battling cancer for a long time.[2][7][8] After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Khan sought medical attention at the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. He later chose to pursue exclusive treatment in Kolkata. Khan initially showed positive responses to the treatment.[5]
But his condition got worse on 23 December 2023, and he was admitted to the hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator for oxygen support and died at the age of 55.[9][2]
His obituary on BBC News website says: "But he was, undisputedly, the defining artist of his generation, someone who enjoyed a kind of commercial success and public adulation that was rare for a classical singer of his era. He commanded the biggest fee among his contemporaries and performed in packed auditoriums in his busiest years, he was doing 20 concerts a month. His untimely death has robbed India of one of its finest and most popular vocalists".[2]
Film discography
edit| Year | Song | Film | Music Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | "Chanda Se Chhup ke" | Goldfish | Tapas Relia |
| 2022 | "Marwa" | Me Vasantrao | Rahul Deshpande |
| 2019 | "Barsat Sawan" | Mitin Mashi (Bengali Film) | Pandit Bikram Ghosh |
| 2018 | "Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain" | Manto | Sneha Khanwalkar |
| "Ae Ri Mai Re" | Dassehra (2018 film) | Vijay Verma | |
| 2017 | "Sakhi Ri" | Vodka Diaries | Sandesh Shandilya |
| "Tu Banja Gali Beneras Ki" | Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana | Himself | |
| "Tu Banja Gali Beneras Ki (Reprise)" | |||
| "Tu Banja Gali Beneras Ki (Female)" | |||
| 2015 | "Bhara Badara" | Kadambari | Bickram Ghosh |
| 2013 | "Jheeni Re Jheeni" | Issaq | Sachin–Jigar |
| 2012 | "Sajna" | Bapi Bari Ja (Bengali) | Jeet Ganguly |
| "Aiyo Piyaji" | Chakravyuh | Shantanu Moitra | |
| 2011 | "Poore se zara sa" | Mausam | Pritam Chakraborty |
| 2010 | "Allah Hi Raheem" | My Name is Khan | Shankar Ehsaan Loy |
| 2010 | "Megh Jome Ache" | Tara (Bengali) | Tapan Sinha |
| 2009 | "Bhor Bhayo" | Morning Walk | Jeet Ganguly |
| "Manwa" | |||
| 2007 | "Aaoge Jab Tum Saajna"[2][8] | Jab We Met[8] | Sandesh Shandilya |
| 2004 | "Kahe Ujadi Mori Neend" | Kisna: The Warrior Poet | Ismail Darbar |
| "Tore Bina Mohe Chain Nahi" |
Non-film discography
edit- Classical Wonders of India (2015)
- Krishna - Ustad Rashid Khan (2013)
- Rashid Again (2013)
- Baithaki Rabi - Ustad Rashid Khan (2012)
- Poore Se Zara Sa Kam Hai – Mausam
- Nirgun (2010)
- Kabir (2009)
- Shabad Kirtan Gurbani - Sawan Aaya Hey Sakhi from album (Guru Manyo Granth)(2008)
- Shabad Kirtan Gurbani - Holi Kini Sant Sev from album (Guru Manyo Granth)(2008)
- Hey Bhagwan - Ustad Rashid Khan
- Master Pieces Ustad Rashid Khan (2006)
- Yearning (2006)
- Reflection (2006)
- Masterworks From the NCPA Archives: Rashid Khan
- The Song of Shiva
- Morning Mantra (2003)
- Morning Mantra (2003)
- Selection - Raga - Megh and Hansadhwani (2002)
- Voice of India (2002)
- Yatra – A Journey of Rabindrasangeet & Hindustani Classical Bandish, with Nachiketa Chakraborty
- Naina Piya Se
- Live in Concert: Moreton Centre (2000)
- A Maestro in the Making (2000)
- The Genius of Rashid Khan (2000)
- The Song of Shiva (2000)
- In London (2000)
- Classical Vocal: Ustad Rashid Khan (Live At Savai Gandharva Festival, Pune) (1999)
- Saajan More Ghar Aao (Live) (1998)
- Selection - Kaushi Kanada - Charukeshi - Barwan (1996)
- Khyal (1996)
- Shyam Kalyan - Ustad Rashid Khan (1996)
- Rashid Khan Live In Concert (1995)
- Rashid Khan - Ustad Rashid Khan (1995)
- A Tribute to a Living Legend (1995)
- Raga Yaman / Raga Kirwani (1994)
- Rashid Khan Live In Concert (1993)
- Raga Bageshri / Desh (1991)
Awards
edit- Padma Shri (2006)[10][3]
- Banga Bhushan in 2012
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (2006)
- Global Indian Music Academy Awards (GIMA) (2010)
- Maha Sangeet Samman Award (2012)
- Mirchi Music Awards (2013)[11]
- Padma Bhushan (2022)[12]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Rashid Khan - Artist of the month". ITC Sangeet Research Academy website. February 2002. Archived from the original on 30 April 2003. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nikhil Inamdar and Zoya Mateen. "Rashid Khan: The maestro who took classical music to India's masses (obituary)". BBC News website. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g G. Jayakumar (22 September 2006). "An offering to the Almighty". The Hindu newspaper. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ "Padma Awards 2022: Complete list of recipients". mint. 26 January 2022. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
- ^ a b "Music maestro Rashid Khan passes away after prolonged battle with cancer". Hindustan Times newspaper. 9 January 2024. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
- ^ Nadadhur, Srivathsan (26 November 2016). "Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan and Ustad Rashid Khan: A 25-year togetherness". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 30 October 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ Khan, Abubakr. "Ustad Rashid Khan-Maestro of Melody, Passes Away After Battle with Prostate Cancer". Bru Times News. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ a b c Sakshi Verma (9 January 2024). "Kolkata: 'Aaoge Jab Tum' singer Ustad Rashid Khan dies of cancer at 55". Indiatvnews.com website. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Shiv Sahay Singh (9 January 2024). "Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan passes away at 55". The Hindu newspaper. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
- ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
- ^ Parande, Shweta (28 February 2014). "Mirchi Music Awards 2014 winners: Shahrukh Khan, Farhan Akhtar honoured; Aashiqui 2 wins 7 trophies". India.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^ "Padma Awards 2022: Complete list of recipients". mint. 26 January 2022. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
External links
edit- Rashid Khan at IMDb