source: http://www.firstpost.com/entertainment/kishori-amonkar-passes-away-highlights-from-the-renowned-vocalists-last-interview-3152588.html

It is with great sadness that we are announcing the passing by of a great classical singer – Kishori Amonkar. The famous classical singer died on her sleep on April-3, 2017. Her death was confirmed on Tuesday by one of her students Nandini Bedekar‘s (one of Amonkar’s oldest disciples) son Gandhar Bedekar. She was 84.

“She had dinner at around 9 pm and went to sleep. Ten minutes later, her hand seemed cold, which is when we called a doctor,” said Gandhar. Music students in India often live with their mentors, and Nandini was among one of them.

She is considered to have been one of the foremost singers in the Hindustani tradition and is an innovator of the Jaipur gharana, or a community of musicians sharing a distinctive musical style. In addition to her career as a classical vocalist, Amonkar was known for her performances of lighter classical pieces, with a wide repertoire of thumri ghazals, and bhajans, as well as some performances for film soundtracks. She became interested in movie scores and sang playback for the 1964 movie Geet Gaya Patharon Meye.

Kishori Amonkar (Kurdikar) was born in Bombay on April-10, 1932, and was raised by her mother, the classical vocalist Mogubai Kurdikar. She was also Kishori’s first music teacher.

Amonkar was sometimes also described as “temperamental”. Responding to these comments, Amonkar has stated that this reputation perhaps derives from her insistence that performers be treated respectfully, and to the fact that she chooses to spend time before her concerts in solitude and preparation instead of socializing with fellow musicians. Amonkar has stated, “I never play to the gallery. The audience cannot disturb the loneliness of an artiste.”

Musicians, artists and political leaders all across the nation and abroad has paid their tributes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has tweeted, “The demise of Kishori Amonkar is an irreparable loss to Indian classical music. Deeply pained by her demise. May her soul rest in peace,”

He also added that her works will always remain popular among people for years to come.

Veteran singer Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar said, “She was a unique and extraordinary classical singer. Her demise spells a huge loss for the world of music.”

Others to tweet condolences included Shabana Azmi, Shreya Ghoshal, Hema Malini, Madhur Bhandarkar and Kailash Kher.

For her contribution to the popularization and development of classical Indian music, the government honored her with two of the country’s top civilian honors.

Here is a link of one her song as a tribute.

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