Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passes away at 84

Renowned Indian music composer and santoor player, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, left for his heavenly abode on May 10 in Mumbai. He was 84. Reportedly, the maestro was suffering from kidney-related issues for the last six months and was on dialysis. He passed away due to cardiac arrest.

Sharma who was born in Jammu, began learning santoor at the age of thirteen. His first public performance was in Mumbai in 1955. He made the santoor popular with other instruments such as sitar and sarod. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma composed the background music for one of the scenes in the film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1956). He recorded his first solo album after four years. The legend also collaborated with flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia and guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra in 1967, and together, they produced the album Call of the Valley. He even composed music for several Hindi films including Silsila, Chandni, Lamhe and Darr with Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.

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From celebs to dignitaries, everyone has mourned the death of the legend. PM Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee, Anup Jalota and others paid tributes on social media.

Modi tweeted, “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.”

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

“Sad to know about the demise of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, eminent Santoor player and internationally celebrated Indian music composer. His departure impoverishes our cultural world. My deepest condolences,” tweeted Mamata Banerjee.

Sad to know about the demise of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, eminent Santoor player and internationally celebrated Indian music composer. His departure impoverishes our cultural world. My deepest condolences.

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 10, 2022

May his soul rest in peace and we offer our heartfelt condolences to Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s family and friends.

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