Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, a Padma Vibhushan laureate, was born in Jammu in 1938 and is credited with being the first artist to perform Indian classical music on the santoor, a Jammu and Kashmir folk instrument.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, a legendary santoor musician, died of heart arrest in Mumbai. He was 84 years old. He had been suffering from kidney problems for the past six months. The renowned musician was scheduled to perform in Bhopal next week as one of India’s most well-known classical artists.
“At around 9 a.m., he suffered a major heart attack. He was still active and was scheduled to appear in Bhopal the following week. He was on dialysis on a regular basis but remained active “PTI quoted a family source as saying.
The funeral will be held from Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma’s residence, Rajeev Apts, Zig Zag Road, Pali Hill, Bandra, according to Dinesh, his secretary.
“Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated in a statement. He made the Santoor famous all over the world. Generations to come will be enthralled by his music. I have wonderful memories of our interactions. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Shanti Om.”
“Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma’s recitals would leave connoisseurs of Indian classical music enthralled,” India’s President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted. He popularised the Santoor, a native Kashmiri musical instrument. It’s disappointing to learn that his Santoor has been silenced.
Sharma, a Padma Vibhushan laureate, was born in Jammu in 1938 and is credited with being the first artist to perform Indian classical music on the santoor, a Jammu and Kashmir folk instrument. He wrote music with flute legend Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia for films such as “Silsila,” “Lamhe,” and “Chandni” as one-half of the musician combo Shiv-Hari.
Rahul Sharma, his son, is also a santoor player.
Rajat Sharma, Chairman, and Editor-in-Chief of India TV expressed his sorrow over the musician’s sudden death, saying that the music industry has suffered a big loss. He went on to say that Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, a Santoor musician, was the pinnacle of delicacy in both nature and music. He will live on in our hearts forever.
Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharmaji’s death signals the end of an era. He was the founder of Santoor and made an incomparable contribution. It’s a personal loss for me, and I’ll miss him greatly. May his spirit find eternal rest. His songs will always be remembered! Amjad Ali Khan, a sarod player, tweeted, “Om Shanti.”
