The passing away of a culture

Ustad Raees Khan personified an era of sheer brilliance which will possibly never be reiterated

KARACHI: There are some men whose death doesn’t only affect a family and a few friends, but rather millions. They are the ones whose fall brings down institutions and even countries. But there are only a few who carry on their shoulders the weight of keeping alive a culture. Legendary sitar player Ustad Raees Khan was one such man. With him, we didn’t merely lose a mortal, but an entire culture.

Coming from a generation of millennials whose bubble excludes classical music, what personally made me realise Khan’s significance was his immense contribution to Eastern classical music. Of course, his Coke Studio performances Hans Dhuni and Mein Sufi Hoon served as an entry into his beautiful world, and delving further, only made me realise the intoxication I had missed all this years and will never be able to experience in person.



He breathed his last on Saturday in Karachi at the age of 77 and with that, left a huge void in the world of classical music. Even though the news of the maestro’s demise was largely forgotten in the shuffle, it was all the music fraternity could talk about.

Khan belonged to the Mewaat Gharana of famous musicians. Along with Walayat Ali Khan and Pandit Ravi Shankar, he was one of the top three sitar players in the world. “He discovered the essence of classical music and infused it into film music,” said Tehzeeb Foundation patron Sharif Awan.

Sitar player Ustad Nafees Ahmad also sang Khan sahab’s praises, and said he was not only a brilliant sitar player but also a great singer. “He was innovative. And his film music in India, especially collaborations with composer Madan Mohan, was so successful, people used to wait for his next songs. He had a huge impact on film music.”



Khan sahab’s foray into film music resulted in popular tracks such as Naino mein badra chhayey, Jab Tera Hukam Mila Tarkay Mohaabat Kar Di, Ab Kay Saal Poonam Main, Neend Ankhoun Se Uri, Mojoun Sahil Se Milo, Main Khayal Hun Kisi Aur Ka, Kabhi Kitaboun Main Phool Rakhna and many others.

While Nafees paid his respect to the legend, he still felt Khan sahab was underrated. His talent and acclaim should have resulted in even more popularity and status. Even guitar maestro Aamir Zaki echoed the sentiment once, saying, “If only our state and society respected artists the way they should, Ustad Raees Khan would’ve been way above where Pandit Ravi Shankar stands today.”

Awan said, “After Khushwant Singh, he is respected both as an Indian and a Pakistani. We can’t divide his legacy. He belonged to the music and music can’t be used to divide.” Awan’s statement also rings true as many from Indian music fraternity also mourned Khan sahab’s loss. Even legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar tweeted about his demise, calling him “sitar ke jadugar.”



Awan further elaborated that Khan’s mastery reflected in the way he carried out a performance. “He knew what to present, how to present it and even what not present. Instead of playing long unplanned sessions, he intentionally kept his recitals crisp and concise. He incorporated the beauty of alaap into bandish.” According to Awan, Khan sahab was rightly accredited to introducing gaeki ang in star music – the technique of playing sounds which only human vocals can make through sitar.

Renowned singer Ahmed Jahanzeb was mentored by Khan after he migrated from India in 1980s. He lived with him for months, sleeping, eating, living under the same roof and learning how to sing, how to talk, how to sit. All those things which a parent teaches his child were taught to Jahanzeb by Khan sb. Musical expertise aside, Khan sahab’s personality was equally inspiring. “Trust me, ustadji’s personality can’t be explained in words. From the way he dressed, the way he spoke, the way he sat, you could watch him for hours and not blink,” said Jahanzeb. “He was an idol to millions. I think I’m too small of a person to speak about his skills and magnitude. He was an institute to millions around the world. All I can say is that the world will remember him till music is alive. He sure is a big loss. I today once again feel as if I have lost my father.”

Composer Abbas Ali Khan said he felt the loss of Khan sahab, as he also recently lost his mentor Ustad Fateh Ali Khan. “He was the last from that era. No one in this world came close to him. He was the top most sitar player.”



The producer of Grammy-shortlisted record Indus Raag, Awan recalled they were set to publish a biography of the late ustad. “Ahsan Shahid and I had compiled this biography of Ustad Raees Khan, titled Celestial Sitar. This is one thing that I’m very ashamed of, that we couldn’t publish it in his lifetime.”

Khan sahab was indeed a man of ultimate class. Watch him speak and one will realise his every word mattered. When one watched him speak, it gave away the magic that Khan sahab produced in his performance. Note the look in his eyes when he played the sitar, and one will see his awakened soul. “He was an honest person. He knew the worth of his music which others thought was arrogance,” said Awan.

In 2010 when Pandit Ravi Shankar’s disciple Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and his son Salil Bhatt visited Pakistan for a performance; they bowed in front of Khan sahab. “The rule is that the senior most musicians usually perform the last. But Ustad Raees insisted that Pandit Vishwa Mohan and his son play last as they were guests and he showed them his respect,” recalled Awan.

But the level of his humility and honesty to the craft can only be summed up in his own words. In a Coke Studio season seven behind-the-scenes video, Khan sahab said, “Everyone comes to learn in this world. I also desire that I keep learning till my last breath of my life.”

The loss of this unparalleled talent has left a vacuum that would never be filled. And with that, all eyes are now on Khan sahab’s son, Farhan Raees Khan, to carry on his legacy.

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