Pandit Kanan

Calcutta, Sept. 12: Pandit A. Kanan, a leading musician who was known as much for his individual gayaki, his melodious khayals and thumris as for his passion for cricket, died in Calcutta today after prolonged illness. He is survived by his wife, vocalist Malabika Kanan.

Born in Madras on June 18, 1929, Pandit A. Kanan had made Calcutta his home for over five decades. He started his career with the railways, which brought him to Calcutta. He trained under the late Girija Shankar Chakraborty.

His formal debut at the All Bengal Music Conference in 1943 was a resounding success. He later came in contact with Ustad Amir Khan, interacted with him extensively and went on to become a very popular khayal singer.

Kanan had performed in all the important music conferences in the country and also lent his voice to many films such as Meghe Dhaka Tara, Basant Bahar and Jadu Bhatta. He enriched Hindustani music not only through his own singing but also by training a wide circle of pupils.