Pakistani sitar maestro Ustad Raees Khan passes away

Pakistani sitarist Ustad Raees Khan/Image courtesy- YouTube

Karachi: Renowned Pakistani sitarist Ustad Raees Khan passed away on Saturday, media reports said on Sunday. He was 77. Khan is survived by his singer-wife Bilqees Khanum and four sons, Dawn reported. Born in Indore in Madhya Pradesh in 1939 into a family of musicians, he began playing sitar at a young age. Apart from performing at a number of concerts solo, Khan collaborated with legendary shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan on stage. He also played sitar for film music composers. After marrying Bilqees Khanum in the 1980s, Khan moved to Pakistan, the Dawn reported. Singer Lata Mangeshkar expressed her condolences. "Meri unko bhavpurna shraddhanjali (My heartfelt tributes)," she tweeted.

Sitar ke jaadugar Ustad Rais Khan sahab aaj hamare bich nahi rahe ye khabar sunke mujhe bahut dukh hua.Meri unko bhavpurna shraddhanjali.

— Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata) May 6, 2017