The legendary ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, who performed in Leicester ten years ago, has passed away at the age of 72.
The singer, known for his velvet voice, took his last breath earlier today (Monday, February 26), after a prolonged illness.
His daughter announced his death on Instagram, ‘with a very heavy heart.’
The singer was familiar to Leicester, having performed at De Montfort Hall back in 2014.
However, he had performed at huge venues all over the world, including Madison Square Gardens and London’s Royal Albert Hall.
His musical legacy includes memorable ghazals like ‘Na Kajre Ki Dhar’ from Mohra, ‘Chandi Jaisa Rang’, ‘Ek Taraf Uska Ghar’ and ‘Ahista’.
Pankaj Udhas released over 50 albums during his career which started when he began singing at the age of eleven. However, his career really took off when he sang ‘’Chitthi Ayee Hai’’ in the 1986 film Naam.
Over the years he received many awards for his hits and in 2006 was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of Padmashree for his commitment to ghazal singing and contribution to social services.
Tributes are pouring out for the musical maestro with many fans taking to social media in order to express their sadness.
“The velvet voice has forever fallen silent,” wrote one, while another said, “It is end of an era in ghazal music.”
