Prem Kumar Sharma

A 63-year-old artist from Hathras, Pandit Prem Kumar Sharma, has been learning to create music through Rasiya, Lokgeet, Hathrasi Rasiya. At the young/tender age of 8, he took inspiration from his father, Shri Ashraf Lal Sharma. He has been working hard towards achieving mastery in his craft and pursues it with tremendous passion. He considers Shri Ashraf Lal Sharma and Lala Chandomal as his gurus and speaks very highly of their teaching and calibre in the field of music. Most of his songs are, therefore, sung to be in a similar style as theirs. He recognizes Shri Shri Ashraf Lal Sharma, his father, as his mentor,  who has a natural desire for mastering the craft of singing who had a natural talent for mastering the art of singing Jawabi Kirtan, Rasiya, Lokgeet, and Hathrasi Rasiya. As a child, Pandit Prem Ji would try to imitate his father, and that is when he picked up the Harmonium and never stopped playing or singing. He also knows how to play the Harmonium apart from singing and has performed in various locations within the country. He has pulled off brilliant performances at Aligarh Mandal, Rajasthan (Alwar, Bharatpur), Western Uttar Pradesh only to amaze the crowds, and regards his performance at Alwar as the most memorable experience he has had. He lives in a family of 13 people and his wife, three sons, and daughters-in-law, six grandchildren. Thus, he also has to work as a farmer to make ends meet. Despite all his struggles, he strives to keep developing his craft and dreams to teach all the forms he has someday to his grandchildren, in the future, to see himself succeed through the art that he loves so much.

• Braj