Kishori Amonkar — The Grand Finale
VIEW EVENT DETAILSArts and Culture
Evening Screening
Registration 5:45pm
Screening 6:00pm
Close 8:00pm
Kishori Amonkar, the last reigning diva of Hindustani (North Indian) classical music, passed away on April 3, 2017 — a week short of her 86th birthday. Twice decorated with the second-highest civilian honor in India, she was accorded the rare privilege of a state funeral complete with a 21-gun salute. Celebrated variously as a mercurial genius, an avant-garde rebel, a romanticist, and an iconoclast, she succeeded in breaking the bounds of the Jaipur-Atrauli lineage of music bequeathed to her by her illustrious mother Mogubai Kurdikar. In doing so, she imbued Hindustani classical music with an emotional appeal that is rare among her peers and celebrated predecessors.
In this screening of her grand finale, a mere ten days before her passing, we watch and listen as Amonkar weaves through two soulful renditions of classical ragas that display two distinct shades of desire and yearning. They are a fitting testament to her artistry and vocal prowess at an age where most of her peers quietly resigned.
Together with the screening, we will hear of Amonkar the music guru — a side of her that is hitherto unknown. A guru (a Sanskrit word which is done scant justice when translated as “teacher”) does more than just impart instruction; she molds her disciples’ sensibilities and takes an abiding interest in all aspects of her disciples’ lives, recognizing that these are inextricably interwoven with their music. Getting to know her as a guru, a mentor, and a second mother for the last six years of her life has been a rare privilege that she did not bestow lightly. Accounts of her relationship with her disciples give a rare glimpse into the fast receding guru-shishya (mentor-discipleship) tradition in Indian music.
Presented by: Jayang Jhaveri, disciple of Kishori Amonkar
Kind courtesy: Rishabh Jhunjhunwala, The Bhilwara Group
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