Bismillah Khan, 90; Master of the Shehnai, Indian Reed Instrument
Bismillah Khan, 90, a master of the Indian wind instrument called the shehnai, died Monday of a heart attack in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, India. He had been in failing health for several months and was hospitalized last week as his condition deteriorated.
Similar to a clarinet, the shehnai has six to nine holes and employs two sets of double reeds.
The high-pitched wailing sound that it produces is considered auspicious, and the instrument is often played at Indian weddings and other celebrations.
A native of the eastern state of Bihar, Khan moved to Varanasi in his teens to learn the instrument from his uncle, who played the shehnai at a Hindu temple.
Khan was a Muslim but played the shehnai at countless Hindu ceremonies and was widely regarded as a symbol of India’s secular traditions.
In his seven-decade career, he is credited with expanding the appreciation for the instrument through his world tours.
He combined with the sitarist Vilayat Khan to release the 1967 album “Duets,” which was the inaugural recording in the “Music From India” series released by EMI.
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