Classical singer Rashid Khan died at a hospital in Kolkata on Tuesday, PTI reported, citing hospital officials. He was 55 years old.

Khan was being treated for prostate cancer at a city hospital. His health worsened after a cerebral stroke in December, and he had been on a ventilator.

The classical singer belonged to the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and was the great-grandson of Inayat Hussain Khan, the founder of the musical lineage. He was widely admired for the manner in which he performed vilambit khayals – or expansive explorations of ragas in the khayal form.

The classical singer was also known for his ability to blend Hindustani vocals with Sufi-inspired music, and for his collaborations with western artists.

Khan received acclaim for several songs that he sang for Hindi films, including Aaoge Jab Tum, Poore Se Zara Sa and Bol Ke Lab Azad Hain.

He was awarded the Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2006. He received the Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian award, in 2022.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that Khan’s body will be kept in a mortuary on Tuesday and will be taken to Rabindra Sadan, a prominent cultural complex in Kolkata, on Wednesday.

The classical musician will be given a gun salute and state honours before his last rites are conducted.

Several musicians paid tribute to Khan on social media, recalling his contribution to classical music and style of singing.

Singer Sonu Nigam called him the “pride of classical music of the country” and said he was saddened beyond words at his death.

Music composer Shekhar Rajivani said that the world of music is poorer today on account of having lost “one of the most precious people to have lit up our world with his immense talent and more”.

Pakistani singer Shafqat Amanat Ali said that Khan’s death was a “terrible loss to the world of music & the subcontinent”.

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