I am not qualified to comment on his greatness – that’s for the world to see. Khan said:“He was the voice that every Indian classical musician should have in his head. Sitar exponent and Grammy winner Ustad Shujaat Khan, who knew Sharma closely, told The Indian Express, how Sharma was for him a point of reference of dignity, grace and professionalism. In a world that encourages slick branding, Sharma did the extraordinary – he made great music without talking much about it. In the process, he created music that will be remembered for the inventive inflections he created as he handled a demanding and difficult instrument.
The challenges he faced as he worked to place the santoor on the classical centre stage, Sharma would sometimes say, were nothing compared to the meditative trance it offered him. He was 84 and is survived by his wife Manorama, and sons Rahul and Rohit.īut the path to owning an instrument that has been an accompaniment for Sufiana mausiqi (music) for centuries and turning it into one that would fit into the complex world of ragas, riyaaz and relentless critique - all this while creating slides and embellishment s like other string instruments but not imitating them - was long and arduous. Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, who exalted the santoor – once a little-known trapezoid-shaped, stringed instrument – from the folk circuit of Jammu and Kashmir and placed it on the proscenium alongside other more traditional and heavyweight classical instruments such as the sitar and sarod, passed away in Mumbai after suffering a cardiac arrest. Here is a special feature exploring the life of late Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, brought to you by The Indian Express. You are listening to the Expresso Entertainment Update.