✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Rashid Khan (musician)

Rashid Khan (musician) biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Musicians

Rashid Khan (musician) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth1 July 1968

Age55 Years

BirthplaceSahaswan, Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, India

ProfessionClassical vocalist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseJoyeeta (Soma) Basu Khan

FamilyChildren: Armaan Khan (son); Suha Khan and Shaona Khan (daughters)

Rashid Khan (musician) Biography

Ustad Rashid Khan was a leading Hindustani classical vocalist from the Rampur-Sahaswan tradition. Born in Sahaswan, Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, he trained under

Early life and background

Rashid Khan was born on 1 July 1968 in Sahaswan, Budaun, Uttar Pradesh. He came from a family with deep musical roots: his father, Hamiz Reza Khan, was a sufi singer, and his mother, Shakhri Begham, belonged to a musical family connected to the Sahaswan gharana. Rashid was raised by his father and a paternal aunt after his mother died when he was a child.

As a youngster he preferred play and sport, and was slow to embrace formal music lessons despite a widely noted singing gift and strong musical memory. His first formal instruction came from his maternal uncle, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, and later from Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan, who took a rigorous approach to training. Those disciplined lessons—beginning with very early morning voice exercises and prolonged work on single notes—helped shape Rashid Khan’s command of taan and layakari.

Career

Rashid Khan gave his first concert at age eleven and, after joining the ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta at 14, continued to develop his craft. He emerged as an exponent of the Rampur-Sahaswan style, which shares affinities with the Gwalior tradition and emphasizes medium-slow tempo, full-throated singing, and detailed rhythmic work. He became known for slow, elaborate alaaps, expressive bandishes and an ability to convey lyrical meaning alongside technical mastery.

Over his career he recorded numerous albums and performed extensively. Early recordings included Raga Bageshri/Desh (1991) and a live concert release in 1993. Later albums released under his name spanned decades and included titles such as Rashid Khan (1995), Khyal (1996), The Genius of Rashid Khan (2000), Voice of India (2002), Morning Mantra (2003), Master Pieces Ustad Rashid Khan (2006), Kabir (2009), Baithaki Rabi (2012), Krishna (2013) and Classical Wonders of India (2015).

Rashid Khan also sang in films. His debut film song was "Tore Bina Mohe Chain Nahi" from the 2004 film Kisna: The Warrior Poet. He later contributed to mainstream soundtracks, including a rendition in the 2007 film Jab We Met and songs for films such as Morning Walk (2009), Mausam (2011), Raaz 3 (2012), Hate Story 2 (2014), Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana (2017), Ishqeria (2018) and Me Vasantrao (2022). His last recorded film song listed was "Chanda Se Chhup ke" from Goldfish (2023).

Stylistically, Rashid Khan was celebrated for his tarana work and his preference for khayal phrasing rather than imitating instrumental timbres. He incorporated Sargam and sargam taankari into performances and was influenced by the singing styles of Amir Khan and Bhimsen Joshi. He also explored fusion projects: recordings of Amir Khusro songs reimagined in Sufi mode, experimental concerts with Western instrumentalist Louis Banks and jugalbandis with players such as sitarist Shahid Parvez demonstrated his interest in bridging traditions.

Public profile

Rashid Khan received wide institutional recognition for his contributions to Indian classical music. His awards included the Padma Shri and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2006, regional and national music honours such as GIMA (2010), Banga Bhushan (2012), Maha Sangeet Samman (2012), Mirchi Music Awards (2013) and the Padma Bhushan in 2022. He was often addressed with the honorific Ustad and was described in biographical material as a descendant of a long musical lineage.

Family and teaching

Rashid Khan married Joyeeta (Soma) Basu on 2 December 1991. Soma Khan later served as managing director of Rashid Khan's Sangeet Academy and established the Shakhri Begham Memorial Trust in Kolkata in memory of his mother; the trust moved from organizing events to offering musical training. The Rashid Khan Academy expanded with branches and a faculty that included both SRA veterans and younger musicians. He is survived by his wife and three children: a son, Armaan Khan, and two daughters, Suha Khan and Shaona Khan, who are both singers.

Final years and legacy

Rashid Khan battled prostate cancer and sought treatment at the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital before receiving specialized care in Kolkata. In December 2023 his condition worsened and he was hospitalized; he died on 9 January 2024 in Kolkata at the age of 55. Throughout his life he was known for bringing emotional depth to his melodic elaborations, a reverence for the gharana tradition and a willingness to explore new musical contexts while maintaining the fundamentals of Hindustani vocalism.

Latest updates

Rashid Khan’s recorded output and the institutions he helped nurture—most notably the Shakhri Begham Memorial Trust and the Rashid Khan Academy—remain part of his musical legacy. His honours and continued presence on concert recordings and film soundtracks document a career that bridged classical purity and broader public engagement.
◈

Recent Work

Chanda Se Chhup ke

Last listed film song, from the film Goldfish

2023
Me Vasantrao

Contributed the song "Marwa" to the film

2022
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Part of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana and trained at ITC Sangeet Research Academy
  2. Debuted in film with "Tore Bina Mohe Chain Nahi" from Kisna (2004)
  3. Recipient of Padma Shri (2006) and Padma Bhushan (2022)
  4. Recorded numerous albums spanning traditional khayal and experimental projects
  5. Founded and inspired music-training institutions including the Shakhri Begham Memorial Trust and Rashid Khan Academy
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Rashid Khan (musician) born?

1 July 1968

What is Rashid Khan (musician) known for?

Classical vocalist

What is Rashid Khan (musician)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Rashid Khan (musician) married to?

Joyeeta (Soma) Basu Khan