Pandit Shivkumar Sharma (13 January 1938 – 10 Could 2022) was an Indian classical musician and santoor participant who is thought for adapting the santoor for Indian classical music.
Wiki/Biography
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was born on Thursday, 13 January 1938 (age 84 years; on the time of dying) in Jammu, which was a part of the Jammu and Kashmir princely state then. In an interview, he quoted
I’m not Kashmiri although many individuals are underneath the impression that I’m. Kashmiris are from the Valley. I’m from Jammu, a Dogri.”
Impressed by his father, Shivkumar Sharma began studying to play the tabla on the tender age of 5. He stated in an interview,
“My father thought I had some inclination for music. So after I was 5 I used to be given coaching within the tabla and vocal music,”
His father determined to show him Santoor, a folks instrument, which is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer that originated in Persia however was performed in Kashmir. His father realised the types that built-in Sufi notes with conventional Kashmiri folks music and taught his son to play the instrument which was novel within the Indian classical music enviornment at the moment. Thus, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma began practising Santoor on the age of 13.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma taking part in Santoor in his days of youth
Bodily Look
Top (approx.): 6’ 1”
Weight (approx.): 75 kg
Hair Color: Gray
Eye Color: Black
Indian musician and composer Shivkumar Sharman taking part in at a live performance in Pune in 2009
Household
Mother and father & Siblings
His father, Uma Dutt Sharma, was a vocalist and a tabla participant. He has a sister, Sarla Raina.
Spouse & Kids
Pandit Sharma acquired married to Manorama in an organized marriage when he was 28 years previous. They’d 2 sons, Rahul and Rohit. Rahul additionally adopted the lineage of his father and began studying to play Santoor on the age of 13.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma along with his spouse
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s sons
Faith/Non secular Views
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was an ardent follower of Sathya Sai Baba. He had varied photos of Sri Satya Sai Baba in his ‘riyaz’ room the place he spent most of his time practising his talent.
Autograph
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s autograph
Profession
Pandit Shivkumar started his profession by taking part in for a youngsters’s programme on the radio when he was 17. In an interview, he revealed,
My father was working for Jammu and Srinagar Radio as music supervisor when he noticed the instrument performed within the Sufiana type. He launched it within the classical type. I used to be about 13. By then I had been finding out vocal music and the tabla for 8-9 years. My father labored out a system tuned to the wants of the Indian ragas. After I was requested to play it, I picked it up very quick. After a few years, I started taking part in in youngsters’s programme on radio.”
He gave his first public efficiency on the Haridass Sangeet Sammelan in Mumbai in 1955. In an interview, he recalled,
I insisted on taking part in each the tabla and santoor, The organisers thought it will be a catastrophe — each the efficiency, and, in consequence, my possibilities of being seen as a critical musician — however I might not have it another method.”
This was most likely the primary time that Santoor was performed in classical efficiency at a nationwide degree. Whereas some praised Sharma for innovating, the others criticised and stated that classical music couldn’t be performed on this instrument. In an interview, responding to the destructive suggestions from varied critics, Pandit Sharma expressed,
I might get damage, after all, however you’ll be able to’t drive individuals to love one thing. And I’m additionally cussed to a sure extent. I’ve a robust will energy. As soon as I make up my thoughts to do one thing, I simply do it,”
He relocated to Mumbai on 1 June 1960. In a media dialog, he quoted,
I got here to Mumbai with solely Rs500 in my pocket. That was the second greatest gamble of my life (the primary was giving up taking part in the tabla).”
He made his first Bollywood look in Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1956) directed by V. Shantaram, the place Gopi Krishna carried out a Kathak dance piece, however his first solo album was recorded in 1960 after he got here to Mumbai. He made music for movies to earn the bread. In an interview, Pt. Sharma quoted,
I did movies like Barsaat Ki Raat and Hum Dono. Movies have been a supply of revenue, I might compose for less than choose movies.”
The individuals of the Indian classical music fraternity weren’t fairly proud of Sharma’s choice of composing music for movies. In an interview, reacting to all these destructive views, he stated,
All main classical musicians have been concerned in movies. And movies are artistic too. Although, sure, initially individuals would say that yeh toh filmon mein chale gaye.”
Nevertheless, the destructive feedback didn’t drive Pandit Shivkumar to alter the path he selected for himself. He collaborated with Indian flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia underneath the collaborative identify Shiv–Hari and went forward to present nice music for round 9 movies between 1980 and 1992. A few of their notable works embody Faasle (1985), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), and Darr (1993).
Santoor participant Shivkumar Sharma and flute participant Hari Prasad Chaurasia performing collectively
Initially, Pandit Shivkumar was requested by Yash Chopra to make music for the latter’s movie Silsila in 1981. In an interview, he recalled,
I bear in mind when Yash Chopra requested me and Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia to compose music for Silsila, everybody thought he was taking a giant danger by signing classical musicians. There’s a distinction between classical and movie music. And it was an incredible problem to stay as much as (movie music).”
The Shiv-Hari duo gave varied hits in the course of the decade and have been nominated 5 instances for Filmfare journal’s Greatest Music Director prize. He additionally collaborated with the prolific Indian tabla participant Zakir Hussain for his live shows in addition to for composing music for movies. He teamed up with guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra and Pt. Chaurasia to provide one of many biggest hits of Indian classical music in 1967 known as Name of the Valley. He gave particular performances earlier than the Home of Lords in Britain and in entrance of the Queen of Holland after proving his mettle within the music business. Based on Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, composing music for movies is totally different and tougher than taking part in music at a live performance. In an interview, he stated,
Composing music for movies is just not as simple as some classical musicians suppose it’s. You can’t train individuals to compose. Some have it, some don’t. One has to consider the scenario, the temper, the atmosphere…And at a live performance, you usually play what you wish to play,”
After leaving the apply of taking part in the Tabla on the need of his father, Pt. Sharma performed it once more solely as soon as as a result of the music director S. D. Burman insisted on him. He performed the Tabla for Lata Mangeshkar’s tune ‘Mo Se Chhal Kiye Jaaye’ within the movie ‘Information’ in 1965. Regardless of giving a number of hits in Bollywood, Sharma’s focus remained on classical music. In an interview, he expressed,
Classical music is just not for leisure. It’s to take you on a meditative journey, ye toh mehsoos karne ki cheez hai (This must be skilled).”
The Shiv-Hari duo parted their methods after a decade of creating music collectively. In an interview, Pt. Shivkumar stated,
Hariji and me have been doing movies so long as it didn’t intervene with our classical music. Later it turned troublesome as each of us have been touring,”
He added,
Moreover movie music is a director’s idea. It relies upon an excellent deal on his style and ideas. These days, in movie music, there’s a sturdy affect of the West, of MTV tradition. We’re nice imitators. Mediocrity is in abundance immediately. We might not get the correct of administrators to work with even when we had time,”
Trying again at his magnificent profession and the battle that went behind it, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma expressed his views in an interview and stated,
My story is totally different from that of different classical musicians. Whereas they needed to show their mettle, their expertise, their calibre, I needed to show the value of my instrument. I needed to combat for it,”
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- Honorary citizenship of town of Baltimore, USA, in 1985
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (the very best prize given to performing artists by India’s Nationwide Academy of Music, Dance, and Drama) in 1986
- The Padma Shri Award (India’s fourth-highest civilian award) in 1991
- The Padma Bhushan Award (India’s third highest civilian award) in 2001
- Platinum Disc for ‘Name of the Valley’
- Platinum Disc for the music of the movie ‘Silsila’
- Gold Disc for the music of the movie ‘Faasle’
- Platinum Disc for the music of the movie ‘Chandni’
- The Tansen Samman in 2004
- The Deenanath Mangeshkar Award in 2005
- Pandit Chatur Lal Excellence Award in 2015
- The Sangeet Martand Ustad Chand Khan Lifetime Achievement Award on the twenty third version of the pageant held in New Delhi in 2016
Pranab Mukherjee offered the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship to Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma
Loss of life
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma died on Tuesday, 10 Could 2022 from a cardiac arrest. Affected by power renal failure, he went by means of common dialysis for the previous couple of months. Though on dialysis, he had an lively life-style and was imagined to carry out in Bhopal the subsequent week. Based on varied media experiences, a household supply stated,
He had a extreme coronary heart assault at round 9 a.m. He was lively and was to carry out in Bhopal subsequent week. He was on common dialysis however was nonetheless was lively,”
His physique was stored at his Pali Hill house on the day of his dying and was shifted to the Abhijit Cooperative Housing Society in Juhu for “public darshan” until 1 pm on the subsequent day i.e. on Wednesday, 11 Could 2022. He acquired a state funeral at Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle on 11 Could. Legendary actors resembling Amitabh Bachchan, his spouse Jaya Bachchan, and Shabana Azmi paid tribute to Pandit Shivkumar Sharma at his residence.
Amitabh Bachchan and his spouse Jaya Bachchan paid tribute to Pandit Shivkumar Sharma
Flute participant Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia was additionally current at his funeral and Tabla participant Zakir Hussain shouldered the physique of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma over the last rites.
Tabla participant Zakir Hussain shoulders the physique of Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to specific his condolences.
Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. He popularised the Santoor at a worldwide degree. His music will proceed to enthral the approaching generations. I fondly bear in mind my interactions with him. Condolences to his household and admirers. Om Shanti.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 10, 2022
Favourites
- Meals: Dogri delicacies Ambal, Jammu ke rajma
Info/Trivia
- Sharma selected his son Rahul as his shishya or disciple as a result of he believed that Rahul had the ‘Present of God’. The daddy-son duo began performing collectively professionally in 1996.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma along with his son Rahul
- Pandit Sharma’s music has been used for music remedy by varied medical doctors. Reportedly, some medical doctors used his music to analysis that fetuses take heed to music and that music results in the beginning of more healthy infants. In an interview, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma revealed,
My disciple, Dr. Bhalachandra Phadnavis, has been engaged on it. The outcomes have been fascinating. It has been proved that music particularly the sound of the santoor eases ache. However lots of analysis must be executed to place it right into a system. Within the U.S., there are medical doctors who’ve used my music and my album `Emotions’ is way in demand.”
- Pioneer of Santoor in Indian classical music, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma realised it early that the unique Santoor couldn’t be used to provide the meend, which is a sound/word with out which the classical music can be incomplete. He made adjustments within the bodily construction of the instrument to do away with its elementary flaws and made a greater model of the instrument which might produce a higher resonance of the sound which, in flip, gave it continuity.
- Santoor is synonymous with Pandit Shivkumar Sharma for your complete nation in addition to for the maestro himself. In an interview, he stated,
My father and guru Pandit Uma Dutt Sharma launched me to the santoor. This instrument is the medium of expressing my emotions by means of melody and rhythm. After taking part in it for six a long time, it has turn out to be my companion in my musical journey. Santoor was by no means part of the Indian classical style; it was solely restricted to Sufi music in Kashmir. However I modified the instrument to convey it on a par with the sitar and sarod. As soon as, throughout a efficiency within the Sixties with Brij Bhushan Kabra in Ahmedabad, my santoor sustained a crack. However surprisingly, after I acquired it repaired, it sounded higher than earlier than. I’m so possessive about my santoor that I hardly ever enable anyone to hold it. I take care of it like my very own little one.”
- Writer Ina Puri made a biography on the lifetime of Pandit Shivkumar, which is titled ‘Journey with a Hundred Strings: My Life in Music’.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s biography by Ina Puri
- Other than biography, Pandit Shivkumar had additionally been the topic of a biopic. Antardhwani, a movie directed by Dr Jabbar Patel expresses the instrumental position of the Santoor maestro in shaping Indian classical music. In an interview, Sharma stated,
I used to be approached by the Movie Division of India who instructed me they wished to make a movie on me. They requested me to decide on a director and I knew that Patel can be good and never merely as a result of he’s such a famend theatre director but additionally as a result of he’s obsessed with classical music,”
The movie gained three nationwide awards particularly Greatest Biographical Movie, Greatest Historic Reconstruction, and Compilation Movie in 2007.
- Owing to his tall body, shoulder-length curly hair, and attractiveness, he was provided to be an actor in movies. In an interview, he revealed that he was provided a task in a movie whereas he was recording for filmmaker Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. He stated,
He known as me apart. I believed he wished to inform me one thing particular however he provided me Saat Hindustani as an actor. ‘Dikhate-bolte bhi theek ho… kad-kaathi bhi sahi hai.’ (You look good, converse nicely. You actually have a respectable persona). I folded my arms and stated I wished to pursue music,”
- Reportedly, earlier than Sharma acquired married to Manorama, he acquired the chance to satisfy her solely as soon as. He took her out to look at the movie Mahabharata with a complete of 8 escorts with him.