‘Kamaicha’ maestro Sakar khan passes away

Sakar Khan, “Kamaicha” playing Rajasthani folk musician along with a Padma shree awardee, died at the age of 77 performing a glorious career that brought him fame worldover. A nearby of Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan he is associated with Rajasthan’s traditional folk musician community of Manganiyar.

• performed while using great violinist Yehudi Menuhin of America and George Harrison (of “The Beatles” fame)
• performances at major international festivals in France, US, USSR and Japan.
• last studio recorded album : “At Home: Sakar Khan” (this year)
• Padma Shri in 2012 - for contribution to Indian music
• Tulsi Samman : in 1990 by MP government
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award : in 1991

Kamancha/kamaicha, kamaycha, kemancheh - a 8th century instrument, it’s a “bow and string instrument” utilizing a goat skin sound box and three main gut strings with 14 sympathetic metal strings

• It’s among the oldest bowed instruments of the planet and it is found globally with lots of regional variations ( eg. In Kashmir, it’s called saaz-i-kashmir and it is likened to Raba’ab- a middle-eastern instrument).

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