Music maestro Renowned Indian classical musician, Ustad Sultan Khan, carried forward the tradition of the instrument called a sarangi. The soulful voice behind hits like 'Piya basanti' and 'Albela sajan aayo re' was that of no other but Ustad Sultan Khan. Hailed from a family of sarangi players in Jodhpur, he was credited for his extraordinary control over the instrument and his husky voice. Started performing at the age of 11, Ustad Sultan Khan collaborated at the international level with world's stars. He performed and recorded widely in the rigorous North Indian classical tradition, improvising on ragas with songful melodic lines and virtuoso flourishes. He was also a vocalist, and he often interspersed singing and playing. Apart from Padma Bhushan, Ustad Sultan Khan won numerous musical awards including the Sangeet Natya Academy Award twice, the Gold Medalist Award of Maharashtra and the American Academy of Artists Award in 1998. Initially tutored by his father, Sultan Khan was later trained under a classical vocalist of Indore gharana (school). He was also a member of the Indian fusion group Tabla Beat Science, with Zakir Hussain and American bassist Bill Laswell. Ustad Sultan Khan who was born and lived in Jodhpur passed away after his kidney failure in Mumbai.