Pandit Shivkumar Sharma‘s death has sent shockwaves through India’s musical fraternity and beyond. Tributes and reactions started pouring in soon after it was announced the santoor player had died Tuesday morning following a heart attack. He was 84.
Amjad Ali Khan, India’s famous sarod player, said that the passing of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma is an “end of an era.”
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He continued, “He was the pioneer of santoor and his contribution is unparalleled. For me, it is a personal loss and I will miss him no end. May his soul rest in peace. His music lives on forever.”
Various Indian politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were also quick to react to the legendary music composer’s death on Tuesday afternoon.
“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”, PM Modi said.
Indian composer and Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej wrote in a social media post, “Devastated by the passing of musical legend PadmaVibhushan Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. A legend of not just classical music, but also mainstream film music. He has left a huge void in the global music landscape, his music will echo in eternity.”
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Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s family announced on Tuesday that the musician had been suffering from renal ailments and had been on regular dialysis. He, however, died of a “severe heart attack” on Tuesday. The legendary musician was also due to perform in Bhopal next week, according to reports from PTI.
A Padma Vibhushan recipient, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was born in Jammu in 1938 and is believed to be the first musician to have played Indian classical music on the santoor, a folk instrument from Jammu and Kashmir.