Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Music aficionados in the city remembered Santoor maestro Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma as an artist extraordinaire and a gentle and loving person, who was in love with Bhopal and its people. The legendary musician breathed his last in Mumbai on Tuesday morning. He was 84.
ìI feel like I have lost my father,î said Shruti Adhikari, the countryís first female Santoor player, who has been the masterís disciple since her teens. He had performed in the city on many occasions.
Shruti caught the first flight to Mumbai after knowing about her revered guruís demise. ìHis death is a personal loss for me. He used to teach all his disciples with great love and affection, never losing his temper. I am dazed. I cannot believe he is no more. We all were looking forward to his concert in Bhopal,î she said.
Shruti said that on the maestroís birthday on January 13 this year, his disciples from all over the world had come together at a Zoom meeting.
Dhrupad vocalist Padma Shri Umakant Gundecha has many memories of his meetings with Pt. Sharma. ìI had last met him at the Darbar Festival in London in 2019,î he said. Pt. Sharmaís biggest contribution was establishing Santoor - a folk music instrument of Kashmir - in Indian classical music. ìWe had interviewed him for my book ëSunta Hai Guru Gyani. Pt. Sharma was very disciplined and suave,î he said.íí. Before his concert, Pt. Sharma always requested the audience not to clap. ìHe was a na bhuto na bhavishyati (never was, never will be) artiste,î Gundecha said.
Social activist Kumud Singh said that for her, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma was a synonym for inner peace. ìI canít say whether I heard him or watched him or did both as his fingers moved rapidly on the Santoorî.
CM expresses grief
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday condoled the demise of legendary Santoor player Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. "The music world has lost a divine and famous Santoor player and musician in the form of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma. He will always be remembered for making unique experiments in music," Chouhan said in his condolence message.
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Scheduled Shiv-Hari Jugalbandi will never happen
Pt. Shivkumar Sharmaís Jugalbandi with flute player Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia was scheduled at Bharat Bhavan under ëMahima Samarohí on May 15. That concert would never happen because of Sharmaís death on Tuesday. Pt Sharma had performed in Bharat Bhavan on six different occasions, beginning from the early 1990s.
