New Delhi: Indian music composer and santoor player, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, breathed his last in Mumbai. He was 84.
According to reports, he had been suffering from kidney-related issues for the last six months and was on dialysis. He passed away due to cardiac arrest.
Born in Jammu, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma began learning santoor at the age of 13. His first public performance was in Mumbai in 1955. It is, in fact, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma who has been credited with popularising the santoor.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma composed the background music for one of the scenes in the 1956 film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje. Four years later, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma recorded his first solo album.
Pandit Shivkumar Sharma collaborated with flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia and guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra in 1967, and together, they produced the acclaimed concept album Call of the Valley.
He also composed music for several Hindi films including Silsila, Chandni as well as Darr.
