Mumbai: Padma Vibhushan recipient classical singer Kishori Amonkar passed away at the age of 84 at her house in Mumbai on Monday evening. One of the finest Hindustani classical singers, Amonkar was ailing for a while, said sources.
Born on April 10, 1932 to Madhavdas Bhatiya and Mogubai Kurdikar, a well-known classical vocalist, she learned music under Ustad Alladiya Khan Saheb and Kesarbai Kerkar.
Amonkar sang in the Jaipur gharana style, with her quintessential Maharashtrian and Goan lehja.
Her training in music began under her mother. She studied at Elphinstone College.
Known to have acquired her own style in emphasising the emotional content of music, Amonkar imbibed the nuances of the much-feared Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.
She cultivated a deep understanding of her art, largely through extensive study of the ancient texts on music. Amonkar was known primarily for her skillful singing of classical khayals set in the traditional ragas of Hindustani music, but also performed the lighter classical genres of thumri, bhajans and film music.
She was known primarily for her skillful singing of classical khayal songs set in the traditional ragas of Hindustani music, but also performed the lighter classical thumri repertoire, bhajan, devotional songs and film music. Regardless of musical genre, her performances were marked by vitality and grace.
As she prioritised the expression of emotion in her music, she frequently departed from the gharana's conventions of rhythm, ornamentation, and broader musical structure in order to intensify the impact of the music.
She aimed to infuse the emotional appeal of the more popular styles into the comparatively rigid classical tradition.
Besides being a renowned musician, Amonkar was a popular speaker and traveled throughout India giving lectures, most notably on the theory of rasa (feelings, emotions) in music.
She was a recipient of the Rashtrapati Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Sangeet Samragni Award, among others.
Regardless of musical genre, her performances were marked by vitality and grace. Throughout her career, however, Amonkar was both criticised and praised for her bending of the Jaipur tradition.
In a tweet, Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar said, “Mujhe abhi abhi pata chala ki mahan shastriya gayika Kishori amonkar ji ka swargwas hua, ye sunke mujhe bahut dukh hua. Wo ek asaadharan gayika thi.Unke jaane se shastriya sangeet jagat ki bahut haani hui hai... (I have just heard that the legendary classical singer Kishori Amonkarji has passed away. I am saddened. She was a phenomenal singer. Her passing is a big loss to music).”
