Back in the late 1960s, music festivals held at the Shanmukhananda Hall, Rang Bhavan or Birla Matoshri would attract the cream of Hindustani classical talent. Kishori Amonkar’s concerts would invariably draw packed houses.
For many, Amonkar was one of the symbols of Mumbai’s classical scene. A resident of Prabhadevi, she was immensely popular among the city’s Maharashtrian community, not only for her khayal but also for abhangs. And though Kolkata had a vibrant ambience, including the Dover Lane festival, and Pune had a huge number of aficionados who understood the technicalities, and also boasted of the Sawai Gandharva festival, Mumbai was where a larger chunk of the action took place.
Vocalists Pandit Jasraj, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Prabha Atre and Parveen Sultana, and instrumentalists like santoor monarch Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, sarangi wizard Pandit Ram Narayan and tabla wizard Ustad Allarakha Qureshi all stayed in Mumbai. Others like vocalists Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal, sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar (who even stayed a few years here) and sarod exponent Ustad Amjad Ali Khan made regular visits.
Besides getting numerous concert opportunities, Mumbai was also the place for Hindi film music, where instrumentalists regularly contributed, and for busy recording studios. And though film music was immensely popular among the masses, Hindustani classical had its fair share of knowledgeable followers.
In such a scenario, Amonkar thrived. Besides attracting huge crowds at concerts, she became a role model. Many parents would enrol their daughters in music class, wanting them to follow Amonkar’s style.
For Mumbai’s purists, it took a while to get accustomed to the singer’s technique. Though she learnt the rudiments of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana from her mother Mogubai Kurdikar, she also took guidance from Anwar Hussain Khan of the Agra gharana, Anjanibai Malpekar of the Bhendi Bazaar style, Sharadchandra Arolkar of the Gwalior school, and Goan stalwart Balkrishnabuva Parwatkar.
Amonkar’s style was described by ace critic Mohan Nadkarni as ‘avant garde’. She herself didn’t believe in gharanas. “There are no gharanas, there is only music,” she often said.
By the mid-1970s, Amonkar, Atre and Sultana were the most popular female singers in Mumbai. A few years later, many new venues sprung up in Mumbai. Tata Theatre and Nehru Centre became the new ‘in’ places, and festivals like IMG-Janfest, Gunidas Sangeet Sammelan and Sureshbabu-Hirabai Smriti Samaroh regularly featured Amonkar.
Mix of ragas
The singer did a judicious mix of morning and evening concerts. In the morning events, she popularised ragas Alhaiya Bilawal, Kukubh Bilawal and Bahaduri Todi. After sunset, her renditions of Bageshri, Bhoopali and Yaman were in regular demand, along with the Bhairavi piece ‘Babul Mora’.
Some of her concerts remain etched in memory. Her Kukubh Bilawal at the first Ustad Allarakha Barsi at the Tata Theatre in 2001 was a unique rendition. In 2002, she dazzled Shanmukhananda Hall with Gaud Sarang and the rare Loor Sarang.
When she performed Lalit Pancham at 6.30 a.m. at the Vile Parle grounds in January 2015, she showed no signs of ageing. Each time she came on stage, Mumbaikars displayed a special pride. For this city, it’s like a favourite daughter, friend or mentor has departed.
Narendra Kusnur is a freelance music writer
