Jazz drummer Pragasam dies

Jazz drummer Lewis Pragasam has passed away, aged 66, after suffering a heart attack last night.

He is believed to have collapsed after playing a Christmas concert last night at 9pm.

He subsequently passed away at 3am this morning.

Pragasam was a pioneer in the fusion of Asian and Western music within the jazz-rock idiom and founded the Asiabeat project in 1979.

He recorded five albums with Asiabeat and was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, ultimately teaching as artist in residence at East Carolina University.

He was among a batch of musicians such as the late Terry Thaddeus and Paul Ponnudorai, who helped establish an international reputation for Malaysian musicians.

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