Kishori Amonkar Biography 
Kishori Amonkar is an Indian vocalist who sings classical genre khyal and the light classical genres thumri and bhajan. She is the daughter of trained classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar of the Jaipur gharana, from whom she received formal training in music. Kishori is widely regarded as one of the preeminent representatives of Hindustani classical music. She has created numerous tunes based on Indian ragas. She has sung one solo song for V. Shantaram movie – Geet gaaya patharom ne (1964). The song was Saanson Ke Taar Par, Geet Gaya Pathro Ne, music given by Ramlal. She couldn’t withstand bad experiences in film industry. That’s the reason why she returned back to classical music after this single song. Later she sang in 1990 movie – Dhrishti.
Kishori was born in the year 1931, April 10. From early 1940’s she received training from her mother as well as Anjanibai Malpekar of Bhendi Bazar Gharana. Later she learnt music from gurus of different gharanas. In the last 1950’s she lost her voice for a short period of 2 years. She was verse in classical music that she used it wisely in singing light music as well. She modified her singing style in Jaipur gharana by adding features from other gharanas. Leading classical singers like Arati Ankalikar Tikekar, Raghunandan Panshikar, Devki Pandit and Manik Bhide were the disciples of Kishori.
For her contributions to Indian classical music she was awarded with Padma Bhushan in 1987 and Padma Vibhushan in 2002 by government of India. She received Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1985 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2009. Throughout her career she has been praised as well as criticized for experimenting with traditional Jaipuri music. Amonkar is also known as a speaker and she has travelled throughout the country giving lectures about ragas of music. From lighter light music called thumri to high profile Hindustani classical music, she has laid distinct fingerprints of her own.
Published: N/A
Updated: January 05, 2014
