Noted Rajasthani folk singer Mangey Khan, known for his soulful voice as the lead vocalist of Amarrass Records’ band Barmer Boys, died on Wednesday. He was 49. Khan was suffering from a heart condition and had recently undergone bypass surgery. The musician is survived by his wife and three children. Known for songs such as ‘Bole To Mitho Lage’, ‘Amrano’, ‘Ranaji’ and ‘Pir Jalani’ with fellow band members Sawai Khan and Magada Khan, Khan had performed in different parts of the country and in several countries like Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and Italy.
“Mangey’s passing leaves a void that can’t be filled. He was a dear friend, and an amazing soul with an extraordinary voice. His tragic death at such a young age is a huge loss not just for his family and us, but for the music world. A voice that can never be replaced,” Ashutosh Sharma, founder of Amarrass Records, said.
Sharma said they spoke on his way to hospital and the singer told him, “Tabiyat-Zordaar, miltey hain operation ke baad. (I’m feeling great, let’s meet post operation)”. According to Sharma, he met Khan in 2010 when he had gone to Ramsar village in Barmer, Rajasthan to record Rukma Bai, the first female Manganiyar singer to perform in public.
Khan was her neighbour and accompanied her on the harmonium. After they finished recording Bai’s songs, Khan also expressed a desire to record his songs. ”We were blown away by his voice and style of singing. That evening we recorded our first two songs with Manga — ‘Challa Challa’ and ‘Pir Jalani’, which was redone by Coke Studio,” Sharma said.
Barmer Boys debuted in 2011 with a performance at Delhi’s Siri Fort and rest, as they say, is history. They became global ambassadors of Manganiyar music, which weaves elements of Sufism with Rajasthani folk music and classical music traditions.
(With PTI inputs)
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