- MAPUSA
Acclaimed drummer and percussionist William D'Souza (62), who achieved fame in western and Indian music, was found dead at his flat in Ansabhat-Mapusa.
According to reports, William lived alone at his home and when he did not reply to calls on Tuesday evening when friends tried to wish him on his birthday, a friend went to his home to enquire. When there was no response from William from inside the flat, the concerned friend notified Mapusa police.
A police team broke open the door with the help of the fire brigade at about 1.30 am and noticed the partially decomposed body of Wi
Police have ruled out foul play into the death of William.
“Prima facie, no foul play has been reported but investigation into all possible angles is going on,” North SP Akshat Kaushal said.
Police sent the body for an autopsy at the GMC Hospital in Bambolim.
ACCLAIM
A versatile and progressive drummer and percussionist who performed across India and different parts of the world, Willian first gained repute while performing at night parties in Anjuna in the 1970s.
Over the next several decades, William played with several bands, including The Big Dipper Band, The Band, Brood of Vipers, La Scala, Embryo, The Limit, Gerard Machado Network and Triad. He also was a jazz rock drummer with a German band, ‘Germanisthan’.
William along with the well-known singer-musician Herman Abreu had also performed Indian fusion at the Jazz Yatra '91 with five other members.
William later went to Bengaluru to pursue Carnatic music at the Karnataka College of Percussion and earned his doctorate with mridangam, the Indian percussion instrument.
William performed for a long duration in Bengaluru, before shifting base to Goa.
News of the death of William stunned the music fraternity, with several musicians and singers mourning the demise of the drumming legend and paying rich tributes to the departed musician on social media.
