The world of music has lost a gem today. The renowned sarod player and composer Aashish Khan breathed his last at 84 in Los Angeles. The gifted musical artist was surrounded by his family, friends, and students in the last moments of his life.
The legendary sarod maestro is one of the prominent artists who put Indian classical music on the global map. He collaborated with international musicians like George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Ringo Starr, giving the world of music marvels to cherish for eons to come. His demise has left a void that can’t be filled and his absence is being mourned by the music industry all around the world.
A peek into Aashish Khan’s life
Born into a musical family in 1939, Aashish Khan was trained by his grandfather Ust Allauddin Khan, and father Ust Ali Akbar Khan. It was a blessing for him to be trained by such exemplary artists who too had carved their niche in the industry. At the same time, Aashish Khan was blessed with a natural talent for music and he showcased his exceptional skills from a young age. Thus, his journey to become one of the notable figures in Indian classical music began at a very tender age.
The list of his contributions to Indian music is endless, some of his most popular works include scores for films like ‘Gandhi’ and ‘A Passage to India’.
Further, he formed an Indo-Jazz band ‘ Shanti’ with Ustad Zakir Hussain in the 1960s. In a time and age where experimenting with music was still an alien concept, Khan was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2006. The iconic artist was felicitated with Sangeet Natak Akemi Award in 2004.
He also ensured not to keep his learnings just to himself and thus trained students not just in his own established school, but in several US and Canada-based universities.
Thus, it would not be wrong to state that his legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.
