Forwarded from:
sajjad_khaliq@yahoo.com
Subject: Update on Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib's condition
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical
Date: 2004-03-09 07:30:02 PST
"I received some updated information about Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib's
condition on Thursday March 4th. He was out of intensive care and the
immediate danger was receding, although the longer term prognosis is
unclear.
Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib's exclusive booking and recording agents,
Navras Records UK, posted the following announcement on their website
last week:
"Ustad Vilayat Khan, the legendary Sitar Maestro, who has been
exclusively associated with Navras since November 2000, is very
seriously ill in a Mumbai hospital. We are all rather shocked and
stunned by the sudden turn for the worse in his health when in fact we
were looking forward to hosting a few concerts of his in UK / Europe
in the spring. His condition is grave and we ask all our well-wishers
and music lovers to pray for him".
Let's continue our prayers for the health and well being of Ustad
Vilayat Khan Sahib, who has through his unprecedented musical genius,
touched the hearts and minds of music lovers throughout the world."
.
Many thanks for sharing this tragic information about Ustad VK, and his improving prognosis. I'm sure many of us continue to pray for his improving health.
However, may I make a semi-unrelated request? There have been several threads started on this subject; that is very confusing. Why not continue posting to the same thread, so we can more easily track VK's prognosis? THis would be sooo much more helpful to those of us who care about him.
This is also true of other topics, when people will post a question, then post a new threat with the same question or a response to a question, and its all a mess. Instead, why not just reply to the original thread, and keep it going until it fizzles out, making it so much easier for others to read through and hopefully learn from the queries/responses. After all, this forum isn't just for one person's benefit, its for the benefit to all of us.
You're right, however, I thought that in this case the message to be of importance and of newsworthiness for you not to have to scrool to the end of the thread to stay current. It is very good and unexpected news!
In the interim let us hope that those people who have never seen Ustad Vilayat Khansaheb in concert may still have the opportunity to contemplate the possibility.
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, March 10. - Sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Khan is seriously ill. and is currently undergoing treatment at a prominent hospital in Mumbai. According to Dr HS Advani, who is treating him: "We are giving him support here, but, his chances are very guarded. He has been in and out of the ICCU. We are trying to make him comfortable so that he can go back to Kolkata."
As every year, the Ustad had come to Kolkata in October and was scheduled to stay till March when he would return to his other home at Princeton in USA. But this time he fell ill and had to be shifted to Mumbai on 26 February where has recently been out of the ICCU.
The maestro's wife Zubeida Begum and youngest son Hidayat Khan are currently in Mumbai. Hidayat Khan said, 'Abba is very weak. The doctors are conducting tests.'
The pain and infirm health notwithstanding, the Ustad remains immersed in music even at the hospital. 'He is listening to Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Zohra Bai and Ustad Amir Khan. Just the other day, I told him about a Kedara by Bade Ghulam Ali Khan and he began humming the bandish,' said
Hidayat.
This is indeed very sad news. We have lost a great musician, but just like ustad Amir khan in vocal music, Ustad Vilayat khan has carved out a unique sitar ang in vocal style which will live on forever for musicians and music lovers.
BTW: I think he must have had small cell lung cancer which usually spreads quickly by the time of diagnosis and carries very poor prognosis. In ustadji's case he was diagnosed in February, 2004.
Vilayet Khan has left the body� giving room for new superior artists and musicians, and leaving a solid print as one of the (if not, the) greatest of his kind, ever.
I am extremely saddened by the great loss we have all suffered - the passing away of my uncle, Ustad Vilayat Khansahib. I was very fortunate to have been with 'Bade Abba' (Ustad Vilayat Khansahib) last week at his bedside, but nothing could prepare me for the shocking news of his passing away so quickly. My father, Ustad Imrat Khansahib, was also in Mumbai last week, and, after returning to America, is distressed for the same reason.
Our extended family (my cousins Shujaat Bhai and Hidayat) is in close contact, and we are still trying to cope with the loss we have all suffered. My brothers Irshad and Wajahat are in Kolkata with the entire family.
My personal loss is not just of an uncle, but that of a guiding light and inspiration of sitar and Indian music.
I am deeply grateful to all of you for your condolences, prayers and blessings.
Dear Friends and Well Wishers of Ustad Vilayet Khan and Ustad Imrat Khan and to the admirers and followers of our Khandaan,
The legendary Ustad Vilayet Khan was not only my elder brother but he was my mentor and my hero. Since I lost my father at the age of three, it was my elder brother whom guided me into the galaxies of Indian classical music.
We lived and played together til 35 years of my age and 43 years of his age and performed and recorded the finest music still to be heard from the golden pages of Indian classical music. The entire generation of the
musical style of our gharana was preserved, enhanced and reestablished during this period in the world of music.
I had the opportunity of blessed moments to be with him in Mumbai at the Jaslok hospital during the first week of March before he permanently went into a coma. I am very fortunate as always that he entrusted upon me his
last wishes and desires. Among which his greatest wish was to maintain the highest standard of sitar and surbahar in our gharana and for it to be
continued sincerely with all its purity and integrity as he had maintained all his life. He gave me this monumental task to be continued for the rest of my life with my most sincere sons, nephews, and students of our gharana
and khandaan.
I will always be seeking support, love, and blessings from the members and followers of my gharana.
From: kavita (kavita580@yahoo.com)
Subject: Re: Message from Shujaat Khan.
This is the only article in this thread
View: Original Format
Newsgroups: rec.music.indian.classical
Date: 2004-03-18 12:56:23 PST
I have been requested by Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib's son, Shujaat
Khan(his interview with me has appeared here several times) to post
the following message. If you wish to contact him directly, please
email him at findshk@yahoo.com
"Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their good wishes and
outpouring of love after the passing away of my father Ustad Vilayat
Khan.
It has touched me deeply. My family and I are very grateful for your
prayers and words of comfort. After returning from India, however, I
have
been inundated with phone calls and comments regarding a message
posted
by
my uncle Ustad Imrat Khan Sahib, both on his website and on the Indian
classical music newsgroup RMIC. Regretfully, I have no choice but to
clarify some of his remarks which are factually incorrect.
I want to say that I have deep respect for my uncle Imrat Khan Sahib's
musical greatness. While it is true that Ustad Imrat Khan Sahib was
close
to my father for many years, their relationship had been strained for
the
last 15 or 20 years. In fact, Abba (my father) did not even meet
Ustad
Imrat Khan Sahib for the last 15 years. My brother Hidayat, Begum
Vilayat
Khan, and I were the only family members by Abba ji's bedside
constantly,
for the last two weeks of his life. Imrat Khan Sahib and my cousin,
Nishat Bhai, did visit Bombay to meet Abba, but for ONE day . At that
time, Abba was in ICU where visitors are allowed only for a few
minutes,
if at all. Abba was seriously ill at that time and hardly in a
condition
to recognize any one, leave alone converse with visitors. It would
have
been highly improbable for him to delegate "monumental tasks" of any
kind
or in any way "pass on the torch" to anyone as indicated in Imrat Khan
Sahib's messages. Also, I'd like to clarify that Abba never went into
a
permanent coma, as has been reported in Imrat Khan Sahib's website.
Hidayat, Begum Khan, and I were by his bedside when he breathed his
last,
and together with his dear student, Shri Arvind Parikh, we transported
the
body to Calcutta where his last rights were performed. These are the
facts.
As his eldest son, it is my humble request to all to let his family
grieve
in peace. We need to focus on the immense contributions Abba has made
to
Indian Classical Music, to the sitar, and his impact on our lives. As
his children, his disciples, and lovers of Hindustani classical music
our endeavor should be to carry his legacy forward with love and
dedication and not worry about replacing him or scrambling to become
his heirs or successors. I don't think in our lifetimes, I or any
one else can fit into Abba's shoes."
