Renowned Hindustani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar passed away on April 4, 2017 after a brief illness. She was 84.
Born on April 10, 1932 here, Amonkar was recognised as one of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition and as an innovative exponent of the Jaipur gharana.
A gharana is a group of musicians sharing a distinctive musical style.
Amonkar's mother was the well-known vocalist Mogubai Kurdikar, who trained under Alladiya Khan Saheb, the doyen of the Jaipur gharana.
She was known primarily for her skillful singing of classical khayal songs set in the traditional ragas of Hindustani music, but also performed the lighter classical thumri repertoire, bhajan, devotional songs and film music.
In recognition of her contribution to the arts, she received many awards, including the Padma Bhushan (1987) and Padma Vibhushan (2002), two of India's top civilian honours.
In 2010, she became a fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy of music, arts, and dance.
