AKARSH SHEKHAR
Gone But Not Forgotten : Legends We Lost in 2020
As far as years go , 2020 hasn ’ t been the best one . As the year comes to a close , let ’ s reflect on some of the biggest names in music that we lost this year .
Sonam Sherpa ( 8 October 1971 – 14 February 2020 )
Sonam Sherpa , one of India ’ s most iconic rock guitarists and the co-founder of the rock band Parikrama was born and raised in the town of Kalimpong , West Bengal . After finishing high school , he enrolled at Delhi ’ s Kirori Mal College for his B . Com . Sonam Sherpa ’ s incredibly melodic chops on the guitar were the backbone of one of India ’ s most popular rock bands . Sonam Sherpa became very famous for his spectacular , bluesy guitar playing . When he appeared on stage with his gorgeous Gibson Les Paul , magic happened . Roaring riffs and luscious leads mashed together gracefully and regaled audiences across the globe . No one can ever forget his spectacular guitar work on tracks like But It Rained , Tears of the Wizard , Am I Dreaming , and Vapourize .
Sonam Sherpa co-founded Parikrama in June 1991 . The band ’ s other members include Nitin Malik ( vocals ), Saurabh Choudhary ( guitars ), Subir Malik ( organs , synthesizer ), Gaurav Balani ( bass ) and Srijan Mahajan ( drums ). Apart from being the musical fountainhead of the band , Sherpa was also the director , CEO and proprietor of the Parikrama School of Music in Hauz Khas Village , Delhi .
A true titan of Indian rock guitar playing , Sonam Sherpa was a pioneer , a teacher , and an inspiration to many . A true legend , Sonam Sherpa will continue to live in the hearts and minds of every Indian rock fan .
The Score Magazine
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Pandit Jasraj ( 28 January 1930 – 17 August 2020 )
Pandit Jasraj is a true icon of Indian music . Through his work , he also took India ’ s culture to the globe . Audiences all over the world were enthralled by his soul stirring performances for more than seven decades .
The Indian Classical Music maestro also composed music for a few Bollywood movies but it ’ s his work in the Indian Classical Music scene that will be remembered forever .
Pandit Jasraj was born into a family of musicians . His father served as a vocalist in a royal court and his brothers pursued a musical path as well . Pandit Jasraj began his training from a very young age and started performing on stage when he was 11 . He quickly rose to fame and his style started being dubbed as “ spiritual and divine ” by many patrons .
Over the years , Pandit Jasraj became a permanent fixture in many classical music festivals in India and around the world .
Pandit Jasraj was also a great teacher and he mentored several musicians and singers such as Kala Ramnath , Lokesh Anand , Anuradha Paudwal and Sadhna Sargam . For his incredible contributions to music , Pandit Jasraj was bestowed with India ’ s second highest civilian honour , the Padma Vibhushan .
SP Balasubramaniam ( 4 June 1946 – 25 September 2020 )
Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubramaniam , fondly known as ' SPB ', was one of those rare gems whose golden voice mesmerized listeners across languages and generations .
SPB ’ s voice endeared him to millions of fans all over the world . Throughout his illustrious career , he delivered numerous hits in 16 languages and performed over 40,000 songs . No matter what language you speak , if you have watched Indian movies over the last few decades , there is a high chance that there is an SPB song that you love . SPB also worked as a prolific voice actor .
Despite being a legendary figure in the Indian playback singing scene , he always maintained a very quiet and unassuming persona . For his contributions in the field of music , he was awarded both the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan by the Indian Government .