Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passes away at 84

Padma Vibhushan recipient classical singer 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.

Born on April 10, 1932 to Madhavdas Bhatiya and Mogubai Kurdikar, a well-known classical vocalist, she learned music under Ustad Alladiya Khan Saheb and Kesarbai Kerkar.

Amonkar sang in the Jaipur gharana style, with her quintessential Maharashtrian and Goan lehja.

Her training in music began under her mother. She studied at Elphinstone College.

Known to have acquired her own style in emphasising the emotional content of music, Amonkar imbibed the nuances of the much-feared Jaipur-Atrauli gharana.

She was a recipient of the Rashtrapati Award, Sangeet Natak Akademi Award and Sangeet Samragni Award, among others.

In a tweet, Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar said, “Mujhe abhi abhi pata chala ki mahan shastriya gayika Kishori amonkar ji ka swargwas hua, ye sunke mujhe bahut dukh hua. Wo ek asaadharan gayika thi.Unke jaane se shastriya sangeet jagat ki bahut haani hui hai... (I have just heard that the legendary classical singer Kishori Amonkarji has passed away. I am saddened. She was a phenomenal singer. Her passing is a big loss to music).”