Believed by many as the finest female vocalist of her generation, Kishori Amonkar has been blessed with a naturally melodious voice. The distinguishing feature of her performance is the effortlessness with which she presents the ragas. Her renderings keep intact the tradition of the Jaipur gharana without being tradition bound, thus winning the acclaim of purists as well as laymen. Kishori Amonkar’s mother, the illustrious Mogubai Kurdekar, told her once: “Sing for the nature and everything will respond to you.” How true were those words. Birds, animals, trees, the grass and even the sun seem to reciprocate when Kishori Amonkar sings.
Kishori Amonkar – Deskar – Hun To Tore Karan Jaagi :
The Jaipur Gharana (also known as the Jaipur-AtrauliGharana) is a Khayal based Gharana, founded by Ustad Alladiya Khan (1855-1946) in the late 19th century. An offshoot of the Agra Gharana, the Jaipur Gharana acquired its name and status as a Gharana in the early half of the 20th century as a result of the growing popularity of stalwarts of this Gharana like Kesarbai Kerkar, Mogubai Kurdikar, Mallikarjun Mansur and Kishori Amonkar.
The Gharana is unique in that it was the first Gharana to be founded in Khayal Gayaki, whereas other major Gharanas were initially founded as Dhrupad-Dhamar Gayakis and eventually evolved into the Khayal Gayaki. The founder of this Gharana, Ustad Alladiya Khan initially developed the unique Gayaki of this Gharana following the partial loss of his voice which prompted him to develop an adjusted singing style to accommodate this handicap. As a result of his exploration, he raised the level of musical and vocal artistry to such heights that he was acclaimed as the ‘High Priest of Khayal Gayaki’.
Mallikarjun Mansur – Deshkar – Hu To Tore Karan Jagi :
Kishori Amonkar – Bhairavi – Koyaliya Na Bolo Dar :
Ulhas Kashalkar – Lalit Pancham – Udat Boondan :
Shruti Sadolikar – Bhairavi – Bajuband Khul Khul Jai :
Renowned names of Jaipur Gharana include Jitendra Abhisheki, Padmavati Shaligram, Manik Bhide, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Manjiri Asanare and many more, besides the artists mentioned at the beginning of this post. As is usual with most Gharanas, the list is long.
Indian Raga 