Pundit 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. He was 84 and is survived by his wife Manorama, and sons Rahul and Rohit.
But 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 embellishments like other string instruments but not imitating them — was long and arduous.
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. In the process, he created music that will be remembered for the inventive inflections he created as he handled a demanding and difficult instrument.
In a world that encourages slick branding, Sharma did the extraordinary – he made great music without talking much about it.
Source : The Indian Express
