Members of the music fraternity remembered harmonium maestro Appa Jalgaonkar, who passed away this morning in the city, not only as a legendary harmonium player but also as a great human being.

Vocalist Pandit Jasraj: I knew him since childhood. Besides being a great artist, Appa Jalgaonkar was a wonderful human being. Between 1970 and 2005, I did countless performances with Appa. Getting a harmonium connoisseur like him is difficult and one of the memorable qualities he possessed was the ability to propagate the art. He created students to carry forward his legacy. Today, I can only remember him as a companion and a guide. While praying for his soul to rest in peace, I am sure that he has already attained moksha.

Tabla artiste Chandrakant Kamat: I got an opportunity to accompany on tabla with Pt Bhimsen Joshi and dancer Rohini Bhate with Appa on harmonium. He had a great sense of laya and he used to take the mehfil on a different level. His fingers had magic. He was unmatched even while playing lehra for solo performances of tabla.

Harmonium artiste Arvind Thatte: The variety with which Appa accompanied artists of various art forms was exceptional. He was a great support for harmonium players like. He had loyalty for his instrument which even audience could sense while listening to him.

Tabla player Suresh Talwalkar: Appa was one artist, who accompanied at least five generations of singers, dancers and tabla players. He could do it because he had the great ability to easily mix up with people of any age group. He was the only harmonium player to receive Sangeet Natak Akademi award. Even if he is no more, his art will never die.

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