Pt Shivkumar Sharma, a renowned santoor musician who brought the stringed instrument to the worldwide arena and successfully straddled the realms of classical and cinema music, died of a heart attack in Mumbai today. He was 84 years old.
According to his secretary Dinesh, Pt Shivkumar Sharma, one of India’s most well-known classical musicians, died between 8 and 8:30 a.m. at his Pali Hill apartment in Mumbai.
He remained busy to the end and was scheduled to play in Bhopal the following week. He was also dealing with kidney problems.
“In the morning, he suffered a heart attack… He was active and was scheduled to perform in Bhopal the following week. He was on dialysis on a regular basis yet remained active “Press Trust of India obtained information from a family source.
His wife Manorama and sons Rahul, a santoor player, and Rohit survive him.
Sharma’s death was mourned by many, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji’s death has made our cultural world a worse one. He made the Santoor famous all over the world. Generations to come will be enthralled by his music. I have good memories of my interactions with him. Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. Shanti Om, “stated the Prime Minister.
Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. He popularised the Santoor at a global level. His music will continue to enthral the coming generations. I fondly remember my interactions with him. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 10, 2022
Pt Shivkumar Sharma, a Padma Vibhushan laureate, was born in Jammu in 1938 and is said to be the first musician to perform Indian classical music on the santoor, a Jammu and Kashmir folk instrument.
He wrote music alongside flute great Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia for films such as “Silsila,” “Lamhe,” “Chandni,” and “Darr” as one half of the musical combo Shiv-Hari.
Pt Shivkumar Sharma’s death was a personal tragedy for Sarod player Amjad Ali Khan.
The passing away of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharmaji marks the end of an era. He was the pioneer of Santoor and his contribution is unparalleled. For me, it’s a personal loss and I will miss him no end. May his soul rest in peace. His music lives on forever! Om Shanti 🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/GcLSF0lSh2
— Amjad Ali Khan (@AAKSarod) May 10, 2022
“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! Shanti Om, “In a tweet, Amjad Ali Khan said.
Shivkumar Sharma’s death was also mourned by ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas and renowned actress Shabana Azmi.
Pankaj Udhas commented on Twitter, “We have lost a jewel today Padma Vibhushan Shri Shiv Kumar Sharma ji Santoor virtuoso a tremendous loss to Indian classical music.”
“I was really heartbroken to learn about the death of maestro Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma. Of course, his beautiful music will live on in our hearts, but it will be tainted with the sadness of his passing. My heartfelt sympathies go out to the family “Shabana Azmi tweeted.
Shivkumar Sharma was recalled by music composer and performer Salim Merchant as one of the “best artists of our time.”
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Pt Shivkumar Sharma was honoured with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, the Padma Shri Award in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan Award in 2001.
Bengali