Patna: Padma Shri recipient and noted musician Gajendra Narayan Singh's demise has left music lovers disturbed and saddened and the Grammy Awards winner and the tabla exponent Sandeep Das, is also not left behind.

Singh, also the former chairman of the Bihar Sangeet Natak Akademi, is hailed by music lovers for his various initiatives to promote state artistes. He initiated scholarship schemes during his tenure at the Akademi besides giving chance to local artistes to perform in the mega events (such as Darbhanga Dhrupad Samaroh, Bettiah Dhrupad Samaroh) along side accomplished national- and international-level singers. He breathed his last around 2.30am on Monday. He was 78 years old.

"I knew him since I was 8-9 years old. He gave me a lot of love always. He was very close to my family at one time and I played for a lot of his concerts in the early-1980s," 59th Grammy Awards winner Sandeep Das told The Telegraph on a chat from Italy wherein he will take part in the Mediterranean Ambassadors' Music Experience. Sandeep's performance is scheduled on May 5.

"How he would come to our house and listen to records with me and then he would invite me to his place sometimes for lunch and play his collections with me."

"I met him last January when I was in Patna for a felicitation programme organised for me by my alma mater St Xavier's High School. I wanted to ask him what he planned to do with his record collection and if I could help in it anyway. It is a very sad for Bihar, indeed," added Das.

Assistant director (programme) of Patna Doordarshan, Pandit Raj Kumar Nahar, who fondly called the musician as chacha (uncle) was also inconsolable. "Gajendra chacha was not only a worshipper of Indian classical music but he used to enrich lives through his music. You won't find people promoting others if he/she belongs to the same field but this is what made chacha apart from other musicians."

Folk dancer-cum-Doordarshan Patna anchor Soma Chakraborty, who has anchored many musical events organised by Singh, said she would always remember the artiste as a vibrant personality.

Governor Satya Pal Malik also mourned Singh's death, saying it was an irreparable loss to the music world.