Shivkumar Sharma
Encyclopedia
Shivkumar Sharma is an India
n santoor
player. The santoor is a folk instrument from Kashmir
and Jammu
. Sharma is often referred to by the title Pandit.
to the singer Uma Dutt Sharma. In a 1999 interview to rediff.com
, Sharma said that his father started teaching him vocals and tabla
when he was just five. He goes on to say that Uma Dutt Sharma did "extensive research" on santoor and decided that Shivkumar should be the first musician to play Indian classical music on santoor. So he started learning santoor at the age of 13. and made Uma Dutt Sharma's dream come true. He gave his first public performance in Bombay in 1955
. His mother tongue is Dogri.
in 1960
. Sharma composed the music of Shantaram
's Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje
(1956
).
In 1967, he teamed up with flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia
and Brij Bhushan Kabra
to produce a concept album
, Call of the Valley
(1967) which turned out to be one of the greatest hits in Indian classical music. He has composed music for many Hindi
films in collaboration with Hariprasad Chaurasia starting with Silsila (1980
). They came to be known as the 'Shiv-Hari
' music duo. Some of the movies they composed music for which were big musical hits are Faasle
(1985
), Chandni
(1989
), Lamhe
(1991
) and Darr
(1993
).
, is also a santoor player and they have performed together since 1996. In a 1999 interview to rediff.com
, Sharma stated that he chose Rahul as his shishya because he thought he had the "gift of God".
, USA, in 1985, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
in 1986, the Padma Shri
in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan
in 2001.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n santoor
Santoor
The santoor is an ancient stringed musical instrument, native to Kashmir and Iran. It is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer often made of walnut, with seventy two strings. The special-shaped mallets are lightweight and are held between the index and middle fingers...
player. The santoor is a folk instrument from Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
and Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
. Sharma is often referred to by the title Pandit.
Early life
Born in JammuJammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
to the singer Uma Dutt Sharma. In a 1999 interview to rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
, Sharma said that his father started teaching him vocals and tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
when he was just five. He goes on to say that Uma Dutt Sharma did "extensive research" on santoor and decided that Shivkumar should be the first musician to play Indian classical music on santoor. So he started learning santoor at the age of 13. and made Uma Dutt Sharma's dream come true. He gave his first public performance in Bombay in 1955
1955 in India
Events in the year 1955 in the Republic of India.-Incumbents:* President of India – Rajendra Prasad* Prime Minister of India – Jawaharlal Nehru-Events:*The Imperial Bank of India, the oldest Events in the year 1955 in the Republic of India.-Incumbents:* President of India – Rajendra Prasad* Prime...
. His mother tongue is Dogri.
Career
Shivkumar Sharma is the master instrumentalist of the santoor, after some years as a vocalist. He is credited with making the santoor a popular classical instrument. In a 1999 interview to rediff.com, Sharma said that it was his father who decided that he should play the santoor and that he never thought he would be choosing it when he started learning music. Sharma recorded his first solo albumSolo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
in 1960
1960 in music
-Events:*January 14 – Elvis Presley is promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army*February 6 – Songwriter Jesse Belvin dies in an automobile accident in Los Angeles...
. Sharma composed the music of Shantaram
V. Shantaram
V. Shantaram is a renowned Indian filmmaker, film producer and actor. He is most known for his films like Dr...
's Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje
Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje
Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje is a 1955 Indian film directed by V. Shantaram. It stars Shantaram's wife Sandhya and dancer Gopi Krishna. One of the earlier Technicolor films made in India, the film won the 1956 Filmfare Best Movie Award.-Cast:...
(1956
1956 in film
The year 1956 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 5 - The Ten Commandments opens in cinemas and becomes one of the most successful and popular movies of all time, currently ranking 5th on the list of all time moneymakers * February 5 - First showing of documentary films by...
).
In 1967, he teamed up with flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia
Hariprasad Chaurasia
Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is an Indian classical instrumentalist. He is a player of the bansuri, the North Indian bamboo flute. Chaurasia is a classicist who has made a conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for classical music.-Early life:Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in...
and Brij Bhushan Kabra
Brij Bhushan Kabra
Brij Bhushan Kabra is an Indian musician who popularized the guitar as an instrument in Indian classical music.Kabra was born 1937 to Goverdhanlal Kabra in Jodhpur where he spent his youth. He was interested in sports and listened to Indian classical music, but did not intend to become a musician...
to produce a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, Call of the Valley
Call of the Valley
Call of the Valley is a 1967 Hindustani classical music album by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Brij Bhushan Kabra, and Shivkumar Sharma. It was recorded for the label EMI....
(1967) which turned out to be one of the greatest hits in Indian classical music. He has composed music for many Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
films in collaboration with Hariprasad Chaurasia starting with Silsila (1980
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
). They came to be known as the 'Shiv-Hari
Shiv-Hari
Shiv-Hari refers to the Indian music director duo of Shivkumar Sharma, an eminent Santoor player and Hariprasad Chaurasia, a virtuoso flutist. The duo has worked on Indian classical music pieces as well as major Indian movie scores.-Classical:...
' music duo. Some of the movies they composed music for which were big musical hits are Faasle
Faasle
Faasle is a 1985 Bollywood film produced and directed by Yash Chopra.The film stars Sunil Dutt, Rekha, Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval, Raj Kiran, Rohan Kapoor, Farha, Sushma Seth and Alok Nath. The film is the debut film for Rohan Kapoor son of singer Mahinder Kapoor and actress Farha, niece of...
(1985
1985 in film
-Events:* 3 December - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.* The Academy Award for Best Picture was won by Out Of Africa, while the highest grossing film was Back to the Future.* Bliss wins AFI Award for best Movie...
), Chandni
Chandni
Chandni is a Hindi film released in 1989. The film stars Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna, and was directed by Yash Chopra....
(1989
1989 in film
-Events:* Batman is released on June 23, and goes on to gross over $410 million worldwide.* Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton, Georgia, for $20 million...
), Lamhe
Lamhe
Lamhe is a 1991 Hindi film directed by Yash Chopra and starring Anil Kapoor and Sridevi. The story was written by Honey Irani. The film was critically acclaimed, had exceptional music, and did brilliant business in UK. Unfortunately, it was not a box-office success in India...
(1991
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
) and Darr
Darr
Darr: A Violent Love Story is a 1993 Bollywood psychological thriller film directed by Yash Chopra. It is the story of an obsessed lover and the lengths he goes to get his girl who is already happily married to Sunil Malhotra . It is the second film in which Shahrukh Khan played the role of a...
(1993
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
).
Personal life
Sharma married Manorama and has three sons. His son, RahulRahul Sharma (musician)
Rahul Sharma is an Indian classical musician of Hindustani classical music. He plays santoor and is also a vocalist.-Early life:...
, is also a santoor player and they have performed together since 1996. In a 1999 interview to rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
, Sharma stated that he chose Rahul as his shishya because he thought he had the "gift of God".
Awards
Sharma is the recipient of national and international awards, including an honorary citizenship of the city of BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, USA, in 1985, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar is an award given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, India's National Academy of Music, Dance & Drama. It is the highest Indian recognition given to practicing artists. The award consists since 2003 of Rs. 50,000, a citation, an angavastram , and a tamrapatra...
in 1986, the Padma Shri
Padma Shri
Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...
in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 2001.
Awards (classical and film)
- Platinum Disc for Call of the ValleyCall of the ValleyCall of the Valley is a 1967 Hindustani classical music album by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Brij Bhushan Kabra, and Shivkumar Sharma. It was recorded for the label EMI....
- Platinum Disc for music of film Silsila
- Gold Disc for music of film FaasleFaasleFaasle is a 1985 Bollywood film produced and directed by Yash Chopra.The film stars Sunil Dutt, Rekha, Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval, Raj Kiran, Rohan Kapoor, Farha, Sushma Seth and Alok Nath. The film is the debut film for Rohan Kapoor son of singer Mahinder Kapoor and actress Farha, niece of...
- Platinum Disc for music of film ChandniChandniChandni is a Hindi film released in 1989. The film stars Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor and Vinod Khanna, and was directed by Yash Chopra....
- Special Award for outstanding music and sale of film LamheLamheLamhe is a 1991 Hindi film directed by Yash Chopra and starring Anil Kapoor and Sridevi. The story was written by Honey Irani. The film was critically acclaimed, had exceptional music, and did brilliant business in UK. Unfortunately, it was not a box-office success in India...
- Special Award for outstanding music and sale of film DarrDarrDarr: A Violent Love Story is a 1993 Bollywood psychological thriller film directed by Yash Chopra. It is the story of an obsessed lover and the lengths he goes to get his girl who is already happily married to Sunil Malhotra . It is the second film in which Shahrukh Khan played the role of a...
Discography
- Call of the ValleyCall of the ValleyCall of the Valley is a 1967 Hindustani classical music album by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Brij Bhushan Kabra, and Shivkumar Sharma. It was recorded for the label EMI....
, with Brij Bhushan KabraBrij Bhushan KabraBrij Bhushan Kabra is an Indian musician who popularized the guitar as an instrument in Indian classical music.Kabra was born 1937 to Goverdhanlal Kabra in Jodhpur where he spent his youth. He was interested in sports and listened to Indian classical music, but did not intend to become a musician...
and Hariprasad ChaurasiaHariprasad ChaurasiaPandit Hariprasad Chaurasia is an Indian classical instrumentalist. He is a player of the bansuri, the North Indian bamboo flute. Chaurasia is a classicist who has made a conscious effort to reach out and expand the audience for classical music.-Early life:Hariprasad Chaurasia was born in...
(1967) - The Glory Of Strings - Santoor (1991), T-Series
- Raga Bhopali vol I (1993)
- Raga Kedari vol II (1993)
- Hundred Strings of Santoor (1994)
- Hypnotic Santoor (1994)
- The Pioneer of Santoor (1994)
- Raag Bilaskhani Todi (1994)
- World Network Series, Vol. 1: India- Raga Purya Kalyan, with Zakir HussainZakir Hussain (musician)Zakir Hussain , , is an Indian tabla player, musical producer, film actor and composer.-Early life:Hussain was born in Mumbai, India to the legendary tabla player Alla Rakha. He attended St...
(1995) - Santoor (Raag Rageshri) (1998)
- Sampradaya (1999)
- Rasdhara (1999)
- Vibrant Music for Reiki (2003)
- Sympatico (Charukeshi - Santoor)(2004)
- The Inner Path (Kirvani - Santoor) (2004)
- Essential Evening Chants (2007)
- A Morning Raga Gurjari Todi (2010)