Kishori Amonkar leading Indian classical vocalist, dies at 84

Eminent Indian classical vocalist 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.

Amonkar's body was kept at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Prabhadevi for people to pay their last respects. The funeral was held at the Shivaji Park crematorium on Tuesday evening. She is survived by two sons and grandchildren. In her career spanning seven decades, she was revered as “Gaan-Saraswati”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief on Twitter. “Demise of Kishori Amonkar is an irreparable loss to Indian classical music. May her soul rest in peace,” he tweeted.

Stating that the field of Indian classical music has lost one of the most luminous stars, governor of Maharashtra CH Vidyasagar Rao in his tribute, said, “Kishori Amonkar was a great vocalist gifted with a divine voice. She belonged to the small league of vocalists who took Hindustani classical music to great heights.”

Condolences poured in from Bollywood fraternity as well. Noted actor Shabana Azmi tweeted, “What a loss... Have been her ardent fan and consider myself fortunate to have lived in a time I could hear Kishori Amonkar sing.”

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.

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

Amonkar was awarded the Padma Bhushan (1987) and Padma Vibhushan (2002), Rashtrapati Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, among others. In 2010, she became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

Source: Internet