Kishori Amonkar, Indian classical vocalist passes away

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Indian classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passed away
Indian classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passed away

New Delhi : Indian classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar one of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition and an innovator of the Jaipur gharana, passed away at the age of 84 in Mumbai on 3rd April 2017, one week before her 85th birthday.

She was one of the finest singers which our country has lost. 

Kishori Aaminkar in her entire career has been awarded with various national awards- The Padma Bhushan in 1987 and Padma Vibhushan in 2002, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 1985 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for 2009, and the prestigious Dr. T. M. A. Pai Outstanding Konkani Award in 1991.

Amonkar was born in Mumbai on 10 April 1932, in her early age only she began receiving vocal lessons in Hindustani classical from her mother Mogubai Kurdikar. Later received trainings from tutors of various Gharans and experimented with a variety of vocal styles in her career. While learning the finer points and techniques 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. But, in the end returned to classical music. She has also sung some bollywood classics for films in 1964 Geet Gaya Patharon Ne and 1990 Drishti.

Amonkar was married to Ravindra Amonkar, who died in 1980s. They also had two sons. 

Amonkar was a performer of the classical genre khyal and the light classical genres Thumri and Bhajan. She was recognized 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. Amonkar was known primarily for her skillful singing of classical khayals set in the traditional ragas of Hindustani music.

Apart from singing, Amonkar was also a popular speaker and has travelled throughout India, best known for lectures on the role of rasa in music.

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.