Indian classical musician Ghulam Mustafa Khan passed away on Sunday, January 17, at the age of 89. A connoisseur of music, Khan belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana of music. He was a Padma Shri awardee, whose death was announced on Twitter by singer Lata Mangeshkar. She shared his picture and wrote: “Mujhe abhi abhi ye dukhad khabar mili hai ki mahan shastriya gayak Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Saheb is duniya mein nahi rahe. Ye sunke mujhe bahut dukh hua. Wo gayak to acche the hee par insaaan bhi bahut acche the.”
Khan was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, the Padma Bhusan in 2006, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2018. In 2003, he was also awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, which is the highest recognition given to practising Indian artists by the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Born on March 3, 1931, in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, Khan belonged to a family of celebrated musicians — his mother was the daughter of Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan, who was a court musician during the time of King Wajid Ali Shah. He was the eldest son in a family of four brothers and three sisters. As such, Khan himself was trained in music from a very early age. After his father, he was trained by Ustaad Fida Hussain Khan — a court singer at the royal durbar of Baroda — and then from Nissar Hussain Khan. The music styles of Rampur, Gwalior and Sahaswan Gharana, therefore, always reflected in his performances.
Khan’s passing is being mourned by singers and musicians on social media. He leaves behind a huge void and a distinctive legacy. Here’s sharing a little bit of his music…
Source: The Indian Express