According to family sources, veteran santoor player and music composer Pt Shivkumar Sharma died in Mumbai this morning after suffering a heart attack. He was 84 years old. One of India’s most well-known classical musicians, Pt Shivkumar Sharma, was set to perform in Bhopal next week. He also had kidney problems, according to the Press Trust of India.
‘He had a severe heart attack at around 9 am… He was active and was to perform in Bhopal next week. He was on regular dialysis but was still was active,’ PTI quoted a family source as saying. Shivkumar Sharma, a Padma Vibhushan recipient, 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.
‘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,’ Amjad Ali Khan, sarod player, tweeted.
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