Legendary classical musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan passes away at 89

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan (Wikimedia)

Legendary Indian classical musician and Padma Vibhushan awardee Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan passed away at his Mumbai residence on January 17. The maestro was 89 years old.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan had suffered a brain stroke in 2019 and the left side of his body was paralysed.

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan's daughter-in-law Namrata Gupta Khan told new agency PTI that the veteran breathed his last at 12.37 pm. "He was fine this morning. We had a 24 hour nurse at home. During his massage he vomited. I ran to him and saw his eyes were shut and he was breathing slowly. I contacted doctors but he passed away before they arrived. Namrata said the the family is in shock due to his sudden death as he was keeping well.

She also took to Facebook to share the news of Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan's demise and wrote: "With a very heavy heart, I inform you all that my father-in law -- the pillar of our family and a legend of our nation -- Padma Vibhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan sahab has left for his heavenly abode a few mins ago."

Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan's last rites were performed at the Santacruz Kabrastan late on January 17.

Born on March 3, 1931 in Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, Khan was the eldest son in a family of four brothers and three sisters. His father, Ustad Waris Hussain Khan was the son of celebrated musician Ustad Murred Baksh, while his mother, Sabri Begum, was the daughter of Ustad Inayat Husain Khan, credited as the founder of the Rampur-Sahaswan gharana of music.

He got his basic classical music training from his father and later studied music under his cousin, Ustad Nissar Hussain Khan. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, followed by Padma Bhusan in 2006 and Padma Vibhushan in 2018. In 2003 he was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi award, the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artistes.