Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passed away in Mumbai on April 3, 2017. A look at her long and magical musical journey.
Amonkar was recognised as one of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition and as an innovative exponent of the Jaipur gharana. She cultivated a deep understanding of her art, largely through extensive study of the ancient texts on music.
Trained by her mother, the classical vocalist Mogubai Kurdikar., Kishori Amonkar cultivated a deep understanding of her art, largely through extensive study of the ancient texts on music.
While learning the finer points of the Jaipur gharana from her mother, Amonkar also developed her own personal style, which reflects the influence of other gharanas and was generally regarded as an individual variant of the Jaipur tradition.
Known for her skilful performances of the khayals, Amonkar also indulged in lighter classical genres of thumri, bhajans and film music. Here, she shares a light moment with singer Asha Bhosale during a private function in Mumbai.
Amonkar was awarded the Padma Bhushan (1987) and Padma Vibhushan (2002). In 2010, she became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. Throughout her career, she was praised as being the doyen of the Jaipur gharana.
In an interview in 2016, Amonkar was asked if she has any aspirations that have remained unfulfilled in a lifetime of music. To which she replied, “I feel I have just begun. I have not learnt anything because I still don’t have command over the sur . Because sur is air, and I am made of concrete. When the perfect sur comes out of my throat, this body will disappear. I will die instantly. I pray to God that I die that way. There is nothing else to see except the beauty of nature, the eternity of one note.”
She is also credited with contributing to the grammar of classical music with her scholarly knowledge, and creation of ragas like Kishori Malhar and Sumedha Todi. Here, she is seen with Teejanbai, Aruna Sairam, Girija Devi, Yamini Krishnamurthy, Vyjaythimala and Vishakha Hari after receiving the Dr. M.S. Subhalakshmi Centenary Award conferred by Shanmukhananda Fine Arts & Sangeetha Sabha in Mumbai on September 13, 2016.
Known for her skilful performances of the khayals, Amonkar also indulged in lighter classical genres of thumri, bhajans and film music.