Renowned Indian music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan, who was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer at a hospital in Kolkata, passed away on Tuesday. Many fans across the globe, including by his wife, two sons, and a daughter are heartbroken by this fact.
Khan, who belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana (lineage), is the great-grandson of gharana founder Inayat Hussain Khan.
Paying condolences to family, West Bengal state chief Mamata Banerjee said that Khan's demise is a great loss for the entire country and the entire music fraternity.
She added that Khan will be given a gun salute and state honours before his last rites are performed on Wednesday.
Born in Uttar Pradesh's Badayun, Rashid Khan received his initial training from his maternal grand-uncle Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan and his uncle, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
At just 11, Khan delivered his debut concert.
He also experimented with classical Hindustani music and lighter musical genres and collaborated with Western instrumentalist Louis Banks for concerts.
He demonstrated his versatility by engaging in jugalbandis (musical duets), collaborating with sitarist Shahid Parvez and other skilled musicians on stage.
Celebrities and netizens flood social media with condolences and tributes by sharing some of his memorable performances.