Christmas has never been this black – Asheem Chakravarty, the founding member and singer-percussionist of `Indian Ocean`, one of the country`s pioneering rock bands, died here on Friday after a cardiac arrest. He was 52.

The musician was cremated at a private ceremony attended by close friends, family and the three remaining band members, Amit Kilam, Susmit Sen and Rahul Ram. Asheem was hospitalized in Doha after suffering a heart attack in October and was in a state of coma for a brief period, but was recovering well. He passed away after suffering a cardiac arrest in New Delhi in the afternoon on Christmas eve. An integral part of the band, the loss of Asheem now casts an uncertain shadow over the band’s future.

“He was out of coma and in a semi-conscious state. He had a heart attack and breathed his last at around 2 in the afternoon today. The death happened at his home here. His friends and family were around him,” said Amit Kilam, the drummer of the band.

The band was at their transit stop in Qatar en-route from their US tour when Chakravarty suffered a massive heart attack at the Qatar airport on October 15. After being treated at a hospital in Qatar, he was flown back to Delhi, while the band continued on their international concert series.

The musician, who quit a career in advertising to pursue his passion, played the tabla, tarang and other percussion instruments while also being a vocalist for the band. The band which describes itself as “the sound of contemporary India getting to know itself”, was formed in 1984 and gradually went on to become one of the most popular groups in the country. Indian Ocean which created a trademark sound with a mix of rock and Indian classical, is best known for hits like `Kandisa`, `Ma Reva` and `Bande`.

Asheem showed his rhythmic ability at an early age, surprising musicians who learned that he never had any formal training. Indian Ocean fans call him “the man with the golden voice”. Asheem sings and plays the tabla simultaneously, a difficult feat rare by Indian percussionists. Asheem’s rhythm structures are unique and contribute a large part to Indian Ocean’s signature sound. He improvises vocal lines while on stage and is innovative with traditional Indian percussion instruments. Asheem was brought up in an atmosphere of Indian classical, folk and other Indian forms.

As news of the death spread, websites like Twitter and Facebook were awash with messages of grief and mourning. “Asheem Chakravarty (1957-2009)-We deeply regret to inform you that our band mate Asheem Chakravarty passed away on 25th December in Delhi,” Indian Ocean posted a tweet on their official Twitter page.

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