On Saturday, Padma Bhushan awardee sitar maestro Pandit Devabrata Chaudhuri passed away owing to Covid-19 and dementia complications. Fondly known as Pt Debu, he was 85. A few days back, he was provided oxygen by the Delhi Police, after his health had worsened, and on Friday night he was admitted to an ICU and put on a ventilator. His son Prateek Chaudhuri took to Facebook to share the news of his father’s demise.
Calling it a grave “personal loss”, Hindustani classical vocalist Pt Ajoy Chakraborty says, “It is a great loss for the music fraternity. Debu da was my elder brother. He was a very respectable sitar player, and we were hoping for his recovery from coronavirus. As a Padma Bhushan awardee, he had performed across the world, and contributed immensely to all our lives. His demise is a great loss to the art and music world.”
Renowned musician and sitar player Shujaat Khan says it is heartbreaking to lose an artiste of Pandit Chaudhari’s calibre. “He was a great artist, a great musician, who has done a lot for other artistes as well. He has left many admirers and students in his wake... It’s sad that for us as a country that we are at a point where people are facing a lack of access to resources. I am ashamed as an artiste, in front of the world, my juniors and my listeners,” he says referring to the present Covid crisis.
Author tweets @bhagat_mallika
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