Hyderabad: Mangey Khan, a lead vocalist and harmonium player of the Rajasthani Sufi folk group known as Barmer Boys, passed away at the age of 48 on September 10. Having recently undergone heart surgery, Khan leaves behind his wife and three children. Throughout his career with Barmer Boys, he participated in 200 concerts across 20 nations, showcasing their music in various regions including Asia, Europe, and North America.
The record label Amarrass Records took to their Instagram account to express their sorrow, posting several images of the late artist and writing in the caption, "With profound grief and an aching heart, we are sharing the tragic news of the sudden demise of Manga (Mangey Khan), the lead vocalist and the voice of Amarrass Records' band, Barmer Boys."
Khan, who was a native of Ramsar village in Rajasthan's Barmer, was part of the Manganiyars, a group of traditional musicians who performed at local cultural events like weddings and childbirth ceremonies for their patrons.
The group's music drew inspiration from the 15th-century Bhakti-Sufi movement. Their song repertoire features bhajans by Kabir and Meera, alongside various Sufi kalams. Barmer Boys made their debut at the Amarrass Desert Music Festival back in 2011, officially established under the Amarrass Records label.
The group has produced two highly-regarded albums - At Home in 2012 and Kesariya Balm in 2017, both released through Amarrass Records. They have collaborated with celebrated Grammy-winning musicians and producers like AR Rahman, Mumford and Sons, and The Gipsy Kings. Furthermore, the group showcased their talents on MTV Coke Studio Season 3 in 2013 with music director Clinton Cerejo to create their rendition of the song Pir Jhalani.
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