The heartbreaking news of Ustad Rashid Khan’s premature death, earlier this month, echoed through my world, a void that could not be easily filled by any musical genius.

The legendary Hindustani classical vocalist and musical genius, who was once described as the future of Hindustani classical music by none other than Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, passed away on 9 January 2024. The vocalist had been undergoing treatment for cancer in a private hospital in Kolkata since November 2023.

A protege of glorious traditions

Hailing from Badayun, Uttar Pradesh, Rashid Khan commenced his musical journey at the age of 11. At the time of his passing, he had contributed to classical music for over four decades.

Born into a musical legacy, Ustad Rashid Khan was the great-grandson of Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, the court singer of Rampur and the founder of the illustrious ‘Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana’ genre of Hindustani classical music. He became a prominent figure in the Gharana. A ‘gharana’ in Hindustani music is a family of performers who share a distinctive musical style.

The unique singing concept of Rashid Khan’s Gharana has a medium slow tempo, resonant voice and complex rhythmic patterns and the most remarkable feature of his performances was the wealth of emotionality, which he would incorporate in his melodic ornamentations.

A music website quotes him as saying that “the emotional message may appear in the alaap, at some point during the presentation of a bandish (composition) or while communicating on lines.”  

His official website proudly traces his lineage as the 31st in direct descent from Tansen, the revered maestro of Hindustani classical singing from the 16th century during the Mughal rule in India. Tansen held a prestigious position as one of the nine ‘jewels’ in the court of Akbar.

Even before reaching his teenage years, Rashid Khan had the unique opportunity to open a concert for the Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, providing him with a remarkable start that most aspiring musicians could only dream of. Reflecting on those early experiences, Rashid Khan would say, “Pandit Ravi Shankar used to come to listen to me in my childhood, as did Pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Pandit Jasraj, and Pandit Nikhil Banerjee.”

Rashid Khan was trained in classical music initially by his maternal grand-uncle Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. He moved to Kolkata at the age of 10 with his grandfather in April 1980 when Nissar Hussain Khan shifted there. He officially became a musician in 1994 having joined the ITC Sangeet Research Academy, a leading music academy in Kolkata, at 14 years.

Under the guidance of his grandfather, Nissar Hussain Khan, Rashid Khan received his primary education in music. The rigorous training began at 4 am and concentrated on voice, as he would later recall. Nissar Hussain Khan, renowned for his discipline, would make him practice a single note of the scale throughout the day. Rashid Khan also benefited from additional training provided by Ghulam Mustafa Khan during his time in Mumbai.

Music exponents are unanimous that one of Rashid Khan's remarkable qualities was his seamless transition between the rigorously trained classical genre and the lighter, semi-classical styles prevalent in cinema and other musical forms. He deliberately avoided being confined by the often strict demands of the classical genre, opting to explore and experiment with a more accessible approach.

Similar to numerous other accomplished musicians and singers, Rashid Khan also believed in infusing a sense of joy into his craft. He repeatedly mentioned that joy and happiness were crucial elements when he sang, and he tried to absorb joy from wherever he went, bringing it into his singing.

Throughout his career, Rashid Khan consistently reinvented both himself and his musical prowess. He ventured into blending lighter musical genres, such as Sufi music, with traditional Hindustani classical music, resulting in the creation of beautiful compositions. Additionally, he engaged in experimental concerts alongside Western instrumentalist Louis Banks and showcased his versatility through popular jugalbandi (a performance in Hindustani classical music that features a duet of two solo musicians) performances, collaborating with sitarist Shahid Parvez Khan and other musicians.

In a media interview two years ago, he said, “I treat surs (keys in music) with great respect. I love surs. I am also afraid that I may strike the wrong key. It is Allah’s benediction that I sing.”

Another distinctive aspect of Rashid Khan's globally acclaimed career was his knack for connecting with his audience. This set him apart from certain traditional musicians who stayed away from their listeners. He would always say that his position in the musical world was because of his audience and emphasized that maintaining a barrier between them and him would have hindered his success. For him, it was crucial to involve the audience in the musical experience.

Rashid Khan crafts a style profoundly shaped by the expertise of maestros like Ustad Amir Khan and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. A master of the tarana, akin to his mentor Nissar Hussain, he imbues his renditions with a unique personal touch. Tarana is a type of composition in Hindustani classical vocal music in which certain words based on Persian and Arabic phonemes are rendered at a medium (madhya laya) or fast (drut laya) rate. However, a music connoisseur can see his gradual shift toward the khyal, a form of Hindustani classical music, presented in a manner unique to him.

What could impress a zealous follower of classical music about Ustad Rashid Khan's artistry is its universal nature. It simply goes beyond technical knowledge or formal education in music. Even for someone with only minimal knowledge, he served as an entryway into the core of Hindustani classical music through his renditions. 

His ability to evoke emotions, and tell stories through music, and his avant-garde experience made him a symbol for human feelings. Despite never having met or known him in person, too, Rashid Khan's music has the remarkable ability to make a melophile feel as if he is a cherished family member.

Rashid Khan distinguished himself as someone who did not overly focus on daily practice or adhere to the conventional practice routines followed by many in his field. He would say, “There was a period when I devoted little time to riyaz (daily practice). However, music was a constant presence in my mind and body. In a way, I was consistently engaged in practice because I used to sing all the time. Now, with numerous concerts, they too contribute to my ongoing practice.”

Endowed with a rich and melodious voice, coupled with a seemingly effortless command of the art, Rashid Khan embodied humility. Renowned for his openness to experimentation within classical forms, Rashid Khan was also recognized for staying attuned to contemporary trends. Occasionally venturing into the realm of movie songs, he consistently garnered enthusiastic acclaim for his ventures.

Thus, along with his career as a classical singer, Rashid Khan also sang many Hindi and Bengali songs for films from 2004 to 2019. His most popular contributions included ‘Aaoge Jab Tum Saajna.’

Whether it is a solo recital, a duet with great musicians like Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, adding his voice to the film songs, thumris, ghazals, or bhajans, Rashid Khan's singing came from the bottom of his heart. Similar to his idol, Ustad Amir Khan, he intelligently integrated the details of several gharanas into a unique niche. 

As an instinctive artist, he always found it hard to justify why one sang a phrase in a singular way. His melodies, whether the solemn waves of rag Megh or the joyful stream waves of rag Yaman, will accompany music enthusiasts for generations. It has the magical capacity to turn every step, torn at the day’s burden, into periods of reflection and peace.

The music of Rashid Khan can touch an enthusiast in a deeply personal way, reaching beyond the discipline or training of technical knowledge. For, it may not be due to intellectual admiration for him that one may fall in love with his music, but rather a deep connection with the feelings he infuses into each note.

Since 2006, Rashid Khan has received several awards such as Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award. In 2023, he received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest national civilian award. For his efforts, the West Bengal Government awarded him Banga Bibhushan and Sangeet Mahasamman.

Admirers of Ustad Rashid Khan will dearly miss the transformative experience his music brought into the world of Hindustani classical music.

Kala Ramnath reminisces about Rashid Khan

Kala Ramnath, a disciple of Pandit Jasraj and hailed by the UK-based Songlines Magazine as one of the world’s fifty best instrumentalists, is the first violinist ever to be featured in the violin Bible, The Strad. She is also known in the music world as the ‘Singing Violin.’  

In a conversation with Pradeep Kaimal, she shared her thoughts and memories about Ustad Rashid Khan for The Polity.

Q. Please narrate any personal interactions or collaborations with the late Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb that left a lasting impression.

Kala: Rashid Bhai and I have known each other since we were in our teens but when I was in Kolkata in my early twenties, we would meet every Wednesday in SRA to listen to the Wednesday concert. Those were great times, when we would discuss music and we have also done many baithaks where we have shared the stage. Those were lovely times. 

After 26/11, we both were associated in a collaboration with the London Philharmonic for a tribute to the people who lost their lives and those brave hearts who risked their lives for our country in fighting terrorists.

Q. What memories do you have of working with or being around the late Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb?

Kala: He was a great musician, one in a millennium. There will be no one like him ever.

Q. In your opinion, what makes the late Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb a musical legend?

Kala: His voice, his knowledge, his soul in his music which touched the hearts of countless listeners.

Q. How has the late Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb contributed to the evolution of Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana?

Kala: I think, after Nissar Hussain Khan Saheb and Ghulam Mustafa Khan Saheb, he is the biggest name of that gharana. He brought the gharana to the forefront due to his fame.

Q. Are there stories or anecdotes about the late Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb that you would like to share?

Kala: He was a very great soul with such kindness and empathy for everyone, a very humble person concerning his achievements, and great respect for his fellow musicians. Loved being amongst the people he loved -that being always his fellow musicians and talking all the time about music. 

Q. How have you personally been affected by the loss of the late Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb?

Kala: Yes, he has been one of my good friends and brother in the field. It is a very personal loss as I am still in disbelief that I will not get to hear his voice again on the phone for a chit-chat or in concert,

Q. How do you perceive the broader music community's response to the passing of the late Ustad Rashid Khan Saheb?

Kala: Unanimously we all miss him and feel it as a tremendous loss to the music world. There will be no one like him ever.