North India. Shivkumar Sharma - Santur

"In this recording, one of the very first in the santur master's extensive discography, Shivkumar Sharma already shows the full extent of his talent: a remarkable inspiration made up of melodic subtlety and rhythmic liveliness.

Shivkumar Sharma [1938-2022] is largely responsible for introducing the santur -a musical instrument for folk music widely used in Kashmir- into classical music. He received dual musical training in tabla and santur from his father, and his development as a virtuoso was extraordinarily fast.
This new edition of a disc released over half a century ago is a tribute to this musician, who recently passed away and who, following in the footsteps of a generation of artists such as Vilayat Khan, Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar, brilliantly exposed another facet of North Indian classical music. The tabla accompaniment is provided by Kashinath Mishra [1937], a pupil of the late Pandit Anokhelal Mishra from Benares."