जाईन विचारित रानफुला. भेटेल तिथे ग सजण मला !

भग्‍न शिवालय परिसर निर्जन .पळसतरूंचे दाट पुढे बन

तरुवेली करतिल गर्द झुला. उंच पुकारिल मोर काननी

निळ्या ढगांतुन भरेल पाणी. लहरेल विजेची सोनसळा

वाहत येइल पूर अनावर. बुडतिल वाटा आणि जुने घर विचारीत रान फुला। भेटल तिथे का सजन मला....

I had heard this song in childhood on radio and was spell bound by the voice, wondering who the singer was and waited till the end to hear that it was Kishori Amonkar.

It was the rendering that was the beauty.One of the most mellifluous voice of Indian classical.The name forever lingered and as I grew up was exposed to her various songs. I wasn't a great fan of classical or rather never had patience for it.

Recently I had the honour of attending her concerts (she only did few in recent years). One of my friends Rashmi Kulkarni is her ardent disciple and thanks to her I got this opportunity a year back. It was a few days after Rajesh had passed away and I had no desire to go anywhere. Rashmi literally dragged me to this one and I got a once in a lifetime opportunity to see her perform live.

Kishoritai's zeal and effort to get it right and then to flow with it reflected the discipline and the rigour. She first reprimanded the set up guys for incorrect setting of decibel and sound echoes. She lost it on her tabla guy who was apparently making a mistake(none which I think many of us even registered). Once she got it right then the evening just flowed from one raag to another. She was stickler for perfection.

She offered only classical singing that evening and me who had no understanding of it ..Loved it. Her contention was light music( sugam sangeet) you can hear anywhere.

I am sure she will now be singing for the universe and she will also be reprimanding them for may be not getting that perfect note on tabla.

R.I.P Kishoritai Amonkar