Rahim Bakhsh

Rahim Bakhsh (Persian:رحيم بخش), commonly known as Ustad Rahim Bakhsh (Persian: استاد رحيم بخش) was an ustad (maestro) of Hindustani classical music and classical music culture from Afghanistan. He is also well renowned and popular in a few neighboring countries. He was born in Kharabat into a well-known Tajik family, a traditional part city of art in Kabul and was the creator of a new classical music in Afghanistan. With his work he represented the more than 4500 years old Tajik culture of Central Asia. He was counted as leading authorities of classical music in Afghanistan. Like virtually all classical vocalists of Afghanistan, he belonged to the Patiala Gharana (gharana meaning a school or style of music) of Hindustani classical music. The Ustad (pers.: master) died in 2002. His last wish was to have his grave beside his teacher Ustad Qasim. Ustad Rahim Bakhsh's grave is situated in Kabul on a place called Showda where every Friday night Sufis are praying.

Early life

Muhammad Rahim Bakhsh was born in 1922 in Kharabat district of Kabul Afghanistan He began his music training at a young age of 8 under the tutelage of his grand father Mohammad Akbar Bakhsh and later under his father Khalifa Imamuddin Bakhsh studying the art of Tabla. By the age of 10, Mohammad Rahim Bakhsh was officially accepted by the school of Ustad Qasim Afghan, becoming the 7th string student of this great afghan master.