Noted violinist Prabhakar Jog died at his residence here in Maharashtra on Sunday due to age-related issues, sources close to his family said. He was 89. He had performed more than 80 solo programmes as part of 'Ganare Violin' shows in India and Dubai. Jog, who worked as a musician and composer for more than six decades, had made significant contributions to Marathi and Hindi film music.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray condoled his demise. "The music field has lost a true sadhak", the CM said in a statement.
At the age of 12, Jog started playing violin in music shows as he faced an 'earn and learn' situation following the unexpected death of his father. He later worked as an assistant to musician Sudhir Phadke (who was popular as Babuji). The songs in 'Geet Ramayana' series have the violin tunes of Jog.
He accompanied Phadke for around 500 shows of 'Geet Ramayana'. In films, he got his first break as a violinist in the Marathi movie "Shri Gurudevdatta".
He was a recipient of many awards and honours, including the prestigious Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar Award for lifetime achievement in 2015. Mangeshkar paid tributes to Jog on Twitter. "I am saddened to hear that the great violinist and musician Prabhakar Jog has passed away today. May God grant peace to his soul," the 92-year-old singer tweeted in Marathi.
Governor of Maharashtra also paid tribute on Twitter and said, "Deeply saddened by the news of the demise of renowned violinist and musician Prabhakar Jog. He enriched the world of art with his melodious renditions. He trained many disciples thereby ensuring that his legacy continues. His music is eternal. Om Shanti."
Jog's life and music journey has been summarised in his autobiography "Swar Ale Juluni".
-with PTI inputs
