She linked everything to music, or a musical concept. Please, I could’nt summarise it!!! It’s basically an answer to why you are singing what you are singing. Pt Mallikarjun Mansur used to say she was "hamare gharane ki shaan" (the pride of our gharana) and she used to touch his feet, she had the highest respect for him as a person and as a musician. We are trying to translate it into Hindi and English; it’s difficult in English but it’s almost done. It sounds trite but was true.She used to represent her Bombay college at table tennis."In every generation of the family, only one member of the family has learnt music — in Mogubai’s (Ayi) generation it was only her, Tai (Kishori ji ) was the only singer amongst her siblings, and amongst her three grand children, only Tejashree sings.Tejashri tell us something not widely known about Kishori Amonkar:A little known fact is the book she wrote in Marathi on her theory of music "Swaraartharamani", which came out, I think, in 2012. Once she made a sweater for Arun Dravid, her student when he went abroad to live. Raga for her was an emotion, can you constrict an emotion?
Can you box it into a category? How can there be one way to express you love? Similarly, how can you limit the expression of the Raga?Tejashree AmonkarWho was she close to amongst musicians?She was very close to Ustad Vilayat Khan.Tell us something personal about your grandmotherShe always only wore one favourite sari for concerts; she believed the sari retained the vibes of the concert, was auspicious.I remember her knitting - she was a perfect knitter. It started as a half an hour thing, but eventually went on to becoming a long process. She respected his music and as a person. Every morning she would do her puja for about 2 -2 and a half hours every day. She played carom really well too.We all danced, to film songs – lavaani from Bombay, folk dance of Goa, from Bengal –everywhere.How did she teach you music?She just taught. On her birthday, and on Guru Purnima, our house would be thrown open to everyone, every year – she used to insist that everyone who came had to be fed, even if it was 100-150 people! On her 75 th birthday, we planned a small celebration on April 9, before the open house on the 10 th .She was very fond of Hariji (Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia), Shivji (Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma). That’s why neither of her children learnt. I was the choreographer. I was quite hurt; here I wanted to cry and discuss how my friend had hurt me, and here my loving grandmother was making me sing!!!
After I had calmed down, she told me something I have never forgotten - circle yourself with notes; people can deceive you, notes will never let you down.Can you summarise the book pleaseNo way! (she laughs) I remember she once took four hours at a lecture just
China Wholesale Fabric for backpack Factory to summarise the first chapter.Joining in the conversation was one of Kishori Amonkar’s oldest disciples, Nandini Bedekar. Speaking to her at length, while the grief of her recent loss (Kishori Amonkar passed away on 4 th April) keeps intruding on our conversation, the way ahead musically seems clear to her. But despite this, she never forced music on anyone — she felt the urge to learn has to be from within. She took a long time over her puja. She was the best grandmother.In the music room, we used to practice every morning, one raga for a few hours. She was against the "thaat" system, (a system of classifying Ragas introduced by Bhatkhande), at inadequate classification. She was a very open person, listened with the same attention and receptivity even to a young person, not only to someone of her stature or age. Then after a rest in the afternoon again practice in the evening.Tejashree is tenacious, aware of her heritage and determined to bear the responsibility left to her by the "taalim (training)" given to her — more to the point, she has the voice and extensive riyaaz (practice) to see this dream through. She would listen to all types of music; she used to say you never know what you may learn from where. You need to do "chintan (contemplate)" of the Raga you are performing. In fact, sometimes, I didn’t even dare ask her the name of the Raga I was being taught, while learning - she used to say "tumhe Raga seekhna hai, yaan raga ka naam seekha". If any one aspect was not to her liking, she would redo it.The weight of the legacy of two generations of iconic singers — great grandmother Mogu Bai Kurdikar and grandmother Kishori Amonkar — rests on her slight shoulders — Tejashree looks too young to carry this burden, but looks are deceptive. She could even depict shading in the sari in her rangoli. Ayi was so delighted, so childlike in her appreciation. She was a very nice person, lovely to converse to, nice to spend time with. At home, she would listen to music, the TV channel Insync, she loved hearing the newer generation. Really meaningfully. (do you want to learn the Raga or just the name of the Raga).Some excerpts from a lengthy conversation:Tejashri when did you start seriously learning music?2006, though I sang in a concert in 2005 with my grandmother.Did your relationship with her change after your recent marriage?No! She was very fond of my husband and frequently used to say I wish he was here with me, there is so much I have to say to him, he understands me. She would do her own riyaaz early morning, then her puja, then riyaaz with us students from about 1130 till 2.
There was never this theorising about vaadi, samvaadi, Raga ki pakar (catch phrase of a raga), her teaching method was age old, traditional. Really well, really thoroughly.Tell us about the music of Kishori AmonkarShe literally lived for music, it was her life. She was excellent at making rangoli’s – she literally duplicated paintings. She was a living example of what she taught us. Once she picked up the swar mandala, she would not stop for anything. (Nandini interjects here, Bharat muni had written down "Rasa Sidhants" (principles) and Tai applied these principles to Raga sangeet, linking kaavya and natya to Raga sangeet. The same sari would be worn for more than 10 years, till it really wore away.It was so perfect that the foreigners he interacted with could not believe it was not machine made. "Voh sangeet mein hee rehti thi". She used new terms Raga gayan, Raga sadhana, Raga natya and Raga kaavya)Is there something she once said that you have never forgotten?I remember once when I was about 12-13 I was very let down by a friend; Ayi took me into the music room and made me sing. She had a very strong visual sense. She was exceptionally close to Smt Shobha Gurtu, who also belonged to Goa. She was a very good athlete, ran very well. She had several non musical friends. (Nandini interjected and said she was so excited about Tejashri’s marriage, she attended each ceremony though she didn’t usually attend all family functions, as it took her away from her precious music)What was her routine?She was very rigid in her schedule. Shobhaji used to sing her "mharo Pranam", Ayi used to sing her thumris. I remember once when I talked to her about a satin fabric I was using to design an outfit, she said "see Teju, that’s how a ‘meend’ should be, as flowing and molten as this satin". Actually whatever she did, she did very well; she was a perfectionist. Though she was younger than him and used to touch his feet, she was close to him. She admired and respected Vidwan Balmurali Krishna, and was also fond of him. Though she didn’t believe in 10 hour practice every day; she always said command of your medium was not enough.. Many came to learn from Tai, but her high expectations could not be met by everyone — she felt the dedication and time she gave should be matched by her students. Then she would rest in the afternoon, then again training us students from about 5 till maybe even upto 10 pm. She referred to a lot of the old Sanskrit texts, and then applied her learning into writing the book. I have heard she was an excellent cook, though I personally have only eaten a Russian salad she made me, but I have to admit, I have never eaten a better Russian salad!(Nandini interjects here, and concurs, yes she was an excellent cook; and in fact I learnt how to cook from her)She held people close to her heart, her circle of friends was very few but she held them very dear.
