In a paradox of our times, the most gorgeous rendition in praise of Saraswati in raga Bhairavi has been sung by one who may have never used the word ‘syncretic’ in his life, but whose music was like an abiding prayer that transcended any faith.
Indian classical vocalist Rashid Khan passed away in a nursing home in Kolkata on Tuesday after battling cancer.He was 55 years old.
The extraordinarily versatile musician will be remembered for being able to traverse complex alaaps, taans and taranas with as much ease as he could sing a film song – the most memorable one being ‘Aaoge jab tum saajana…’ for Imtiaz Ali‘s ‘Jab We Met’. “At the recording booth, he was completely an unexpected personality. We were expecting him to behave like a maestro, but he said, ‘I’ve never done this before, so don’t think of me as a trained singer, but as a newcomer.’ This was very disarming,” Ali told TOI.
Rashid Khan shot into national limelight when he was remarkably young, defying an arena where the wisdom of age is often considered a prerequisite for great music. His youth belied the maturity in his music, prompting the legendary Pandit Bhimsen Joshi to declare him to be the “great hope” for the future of Indian classical music.
Rashid Khan belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana or lineage.
Namita Devidayal
In a paradox of our times, the most gorgeous rendition in praise of Saraswati in raga Bhairavi has been sung by one who may have never used the word ‘syncretic’ in his life, but whose music was like an abiding prayer that transcended any faith.
Indian classical vocalist Rashid Khan passed away in a nursing home in Kolkata on Tuesday after battling cancer. He was 55 years old.
The extraordinarily versatile musician will be remembered for being able to traverse complex alaaps, taans and taranas with as much ease as he could sing a film song – the most memorable one being ‘Aaoge jab tum saajana…’ for Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Jab We Met’. “At the recording booth, he was completely an unexpected personality. We were expecting him to behave like a maestro, but he said, ‘I’ve never done this before, so don’t think of me as a trained singer, but as a newcomer.’ This was very disarming,” Ali told TOI.
Rashid Khan shot into national limelight when he was remarkably young, defying an arena where the wisdom of age is often considered a prerequisite for great music. His youth belied the maturity in his music, prompting the legendary Pandit Bhimsen Joshi to declare him to be the “great hope” for the future of Indian classical music.
Rashid Khan belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana or lineage.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *