n singer who performs in the classical genre khyal
and the light classical genres thumri
and bhajan
. Amonkar trained under her mother, classical singer Mogubai Kurdikar
of the Jaipur gharana
(musical tradition of Jaipur
), but experimented with a variety of vocal styles in her career. She is considered one of the prominent representatives of Hindustani classical music
.
In the early 1940s, Amonkar began to receive vocal lessons in Hindustani classical music
from her mother Mogubai Kurdikar
and later received training from tutors of several gharanas.
Music without emotion is like an empty shell. Technique is, of course, essential, but the emphasis should be on bhava or emotional expression. For this, the vocalist has to make a deep and thought study of the nava-rasas. Classical musicians generally ignore this aspect and pay no attention to rasa-siddhant. That is why our shastriya sangeet fails to appeal to listeners who always prefer music which appeals to the heart, rather than the intellect.
Our music is the fifth Veda|Veda. The Vedas teach you brahma Vidya (translation: Sacred Knowledge). You cannot learn that from a machine. If you go on contemplating and meditating upon the divine art. I am sure you will reach the ultimate destination in your music – which is Brahman|Brahman I am trying to reach that.
People say that I look beautiful when I sing. Today I seem to have got an answer. When I sing, I want everything to be beautiful - my notes, ny rhythm and myself too. My desire is so intense that on the stage you have beauty personified, not Kishori looking beautiful.