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THE ARTISTE:

 Shivkumar Sharma hails from the beautiful valley of Kashmir and is the son of Pandit Umadutt Sharma, a noted exponent of the classical tradition of Banaras. From the very childhood Shivkumar evinced keen interest in music and toyed with any musical instrument that came his way. Seeing in his precocious son the makings of a future veteran, his father encouraged him in his musical pursuits side by side with his academic studies. He ranks today as a top-class Santoor player of India and is primarily responsible for winning the classical status for Santoor, which is essentially a folk instrument of the Kashmir valley.

 Shivkumar is widely travelled and has given over 40 concerts in the U.S.A., Canada and London. During the year 1968, he served as a lecturer in the Kinnara School of Music at Los Angeles, USA. He had the unique opportunity of representing India at the Shiraz Festival held in Iran in 1969 where all the Santoor maestros from various countries participated.

 Shivkumar is one of the few highly educated artistes – he holds a master’s degree in Economics.

 He is thus able to combine intellectual understanding with the special gift he has for emotional communication.

THE INSTRUMENT (SANTOOR):

 Santoor is essentially a folk instrument widely used as an accompaniment to singing in Kashmir valley. Originally this was known as “Shata Tantri Veena” (100 stringed lute). The Persians named it Santoor and the name became popular and has endured. Instruments of this family are known as Yang Chin in China, Zymbalon in Hungary and Rumania and Santoori in Greece. Countries bordering Kashmir show relics of this instrument and there are prototypes found in Russia also. Santoor is considered to be the predecessor of the Piano, which is the same instrument, mechanized.

 Despite its one hundred strings mounted on 25 frets, the Santoor inherently has only a limited range for the articulation of classical melodies. But Shivkumar Sharma, after relentless experimentation, has modified the instrument by adding four more frets and making minor adjustments in the arrangements of the strings on the various frets. Because of this renovation the Santoor has gained a wider range of expressiveness and has now made the grade as a solo instrument on the concert platform.

THE MUSIC

 SIDE ONE

This side opens with the exposition of Raga Madhuvanti. The Aroha (ascent) and the Avaroha (descent) take the following pattern:

 Ni (Shuddh) Sa, Ga (Komal or flat) Ma (Tivra or sharp) Pa, Ni (Shuddh) Sa

 Sa, Ni (Shuddh), Dha (Shuddha) Pa, Ma (Tivra or Sharp) Ga (Komal flat), Re (Shuddh), Sa.

 Shivkumar has exploited the complex resources of his instrument – the Santoor – to portray the mood of the raga in its best form both in the ‘alap’ as well as ‘gat’ which is set to the Teentaal of 16 matras (Beats).

 Dhun – Khemta

 This is a light melody and Shivkumar Sharma has made a sweet presentation of the “Dhun”

SIDE TWO

 Raga Jog – Alap & Gat

 Raga Jog is one of those currently prevalent melodies which has earned great popularity among listeners. It is practically a pentatonic melody in which the mediant is sharp in ascent but flat in descent. The aroha is Sa, Ga, Ma, Pa, Ni (Komal or flat) Sa and the Avaroha is Sa, Ni (Komal or flat), Pa, Ma, Ga, Ma, Ga (Komal or flat) Sa. The sentiment of the raga suggests gravity and dignity. Both the Rupaktaal of 7 matras (beats) and Teentaal of 16 matras (beats) have been employed in the exposition of the ‘Alap ‘ and ‘gat’ by Shivkumar Sharma.

The tail piece is a lilting folk tune set to Keharwa taal particularly suited to a folk instrument like Santoor.

Tracks:

 Side 1

Raga Madhuvanti        Dhun    Khemta

Side 2

Raga Jog                           Alap & Gat

Raga Jog                           Folk Tune