DHAKA: Renowned Indian classical singer Kishori Amonkar passed away on Monday (April 3) at the age of 84. She breathed her last at her home in central Mumbai, according to family sources.

Born on April 10, 1932, Amonkar was recognised as one of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition and as an innovative exponent of the Jaipur gharana, reports the Times of India

Amonkar’s mother was the well-known vocalist Mogubai Kurdikar, who trained under Alladiya Khan Saheb, the doyen of the Jaipur gharana.

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.

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.

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.

Amonkar was awarded the Padma Bhushan (1987) and Padma Vibhushan (2002).

BDST: 1521 HRS, APR 04, 2017
SI/AP