New Delhi: Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan, who was undergoing treatment at a Kolkata-based hospital for prostate cancer, died on Tuesday. He was 55. Tributes started pouring in for the celebrated singer soon after the news of his demise. 


West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also addressed media outside the hospital, took to X and mourned the demise of the music maestro. 


She wrote, “Deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Ustad Rashid Khan, one of the greatest exponents of Indian classical music of our times. A hugely respected vocalist with unparalleled genius in creating music, he made us proud by settling here and making Bengal his home. He and Soma, his wife, and son Armaan, and the whole family, were close to us and allowed us to be on their side in the maestro's last journey in life. Ustad Rashid Khan got our highest civilian award Banga Bibhushan and our Sangeet Mahasamman too. He was attached to several of our State cultural bodies in advisory capacity. My profound condolences to Soma, Armaan Khan, and Ustad's whole family as well as to the countless students and admirers that he leaves behind in the whole world. Ustad Rashid Khan was truly a world famous classical Indian vocal artist.” 






Bengali actor Prosenjit Chatterjee said that the musical memories of the maestro will always be treasured. 


“We have lost a gem... My heartfelt condolences to Ustad Rashid Khan's family and well-wishers... Will always treasure the magical musical memories...,” he wrote on X. 






Singer Harshdeep Kaur wrote, “Extremely sad news… Ustad Rashid Khan Ji passes away… this is a huge loss to the world of music. He will always be remembered for his excellence in music and his voice will reverberate in our hearts forever Rest in Peace #RashidKhan Saab.” 






Filmmaker Hansal Mehta too paid tribute to the music maestro on X. “Heartbreaking loss. Perhaps the greatest Hindustani classical vocalist of our generation is gone. Music maestro Ustad Rashid Khan passes away at the age of 55,” his tweet read. 






Here are a few more tweets paying tribute to Ustad Rashid Khan:






















Ustad Rashid Khan, a luminary in the realm of classical music, was born on July 1, 1968, in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, Rashid was an artiste of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana, founded by Ustad Inayat Hussain Khan. According to reports, Rashid also trained under Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan Sahib, who was his grandfather, and from the same gharana. Rashid also received training from his uncle, a Gwalior gharana maestro, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. Though primarily a classical musician, Rashid also sang many popular songs in fusion, Bollywood, and Tollywood movies.