Indian rock band Parikrama lost its lead guitarist and founding member Sonam Sherpa on Thursday, February 14 when he suffered a cardiac arrest in his hometown of Kalimpong in West Bengal.
Nitin Malik, vocalist of the band formed in 1991 told The Indian Express, “At this point, we have very limited information because Sonam was out of town. Apparently, he had a heart attack this morning. I can confirm that he didn’t have any heart condition.”
“He was in fact very health conscious in the last ten years,” added Malik. “He was eating right and sleeping right. He was really taking good care of himself. He had started exercising recently as well and lost a lot of weight. He was trying to be as fit as possible.”
Numerous fans and musicians mourned Sherpa’s death on social media, and many spoke of the band’s formative influence on India’s independent rock music scene.
Below are some of Parikrama’s songs through the years, interviews with Sherpa, and tributes from musicians and fans on social media, including one from a boy who was learning to play the guitar with Sherpa.
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