Ustad Rashid Khan passes away, was battling cancer

Ustad Rashid Khan

The renowned music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan has passed away today (9th January) in Kolkata. The 55-year-old musician was undergoing treatment for prostate cancer at a hospital in Kolkata. He was on a ventilator and was receiving oxygen support. 

"We tried our best but failed. He passed away at around 3:45 PM" said an official of the private hospital where Khan was admitted. 

CM of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee said, "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."

Over the past few days, there have been some reports doing the rounds on the internet claiming the singer's health condition was not so good. The musician's health deteriorated after he suffered a cerebral attack last month. It was learned that he was initially treated at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital. But, at a later stage, he decided to continue his treatment exclusively in Kolkata. However, Khan was initially responding positively to treatment.

Born in Sahaswan, Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, the celebrated maestro received his initial training from his maternal grand-uncle, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan (1909–1993). He was also the nephew of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. He was interested in music since his childhood. Khan gave his first concert at age eleven in 1978. He performed at an ITC concert in Delhi. In 1994, he was acknowledged as a musician (a formal process) at the academy. Although he had started his journey with classical music, he lent his voice to several movie songs in multiple languages which made him one of the renowned singers among audiences and the industry.

Source - Hindustan Times