Santoor legend Shivakumar breathed his last at his Mumbai residence at the age of 84. He reportedly died due to cardiac arrest. He was suffering from kidney-related issues for the last six months.
Shivkumar Sharma (born January 13, 1938, Jammu, India) is an Indian Santoor player. The Santoor is a folk instrument from Kashmir and Jammu. Sharma is often referred to by the title Pandit.
In his prolific career that spans over 6 decades, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma has delivered many albums of Hindustani santoor music. In addition to this, he has played music for several iconic Bollywood movies including Silsila, and Chandni. He earned the Sangeet Natak Akademi honour back in 1986 for his exceptional contribution to Indian music.
He was such a stalwart and pioneer of his art and music. “We met at so many shows and his music was irreplaceable. I hope God gives his family enough strength to bear with this and obviously, it is a big loss for the music industry” says singer Usha Uthup.
The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi paid condolences to Pandit Shivkumar Sharma‘s family and admirers and stated, “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”.
Singer Anup Jalota joins us on the phoneline and says, “He will never be replaced he brought santoor to the spotlight. He played santoor in such a way that it become a part of classical music. He took Indian music to a global level and his loss is impeccable. His music will continue to enthrall the coming generation”.
The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, shared her deepest condolences to mourn the loss. “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”, said West Bengal CM in a statement.