Kishori Amonkar speaks on her reverence toward music as she visits the city to receive the Pu La Smruti Sanman

I like to talk. A lot. You can call me a chatterbox, but I won’t mind. However apart from music I talk nothing,” says the doyen, who has also lived the art all her life. Looking at the art and life through it, the legendary classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar shared her experiences and views ahead of receiving the Pu La Smruti Sanman in the city.

Speaking about the award she says, “I am very happy to receive the award named after Pu La who himself was a great writer, musician and a lover of music.” Amonkar who will be also be interviewed by Girish Kuber, adds, “Every raag has a expression that I attempt to bring forth when I perform. For instance if I am presenting Hindole people should feel that they are on a Hindola (swing) and I should be able to transfer the emotion to them. We must look at the raag in a living form. This is classical music, and it exhibits the ability to forget oneself and to let others forget themselves through it.”

Amonker will be a part of Varsa, a performance by her disciples Swarnima Gusen, Tejasgri Amonkar, Nandini Bedekar and Raghunandan Panshikar today at Pulotsav. Further adding about dilution of music, she says, “Unless our country does not enhance peace and culture this easy music will go on.” Expressing her displeasure on music being increasingly tainted, she stresses on the need for a devotional approach towards it. “The audience is equally responsible as the artiste is, in the perpetuation of our music. The listeners have a responsibility and they should be conscious and question if a raag as elaborate as Yaman is being sung in 20 minutes. There are many colleges and institutes of music, why isn’t a single artiste made then? People hold M Phil and PhD degrees, but can’t sing, music has become a business and I am immensely hurt when I see this,” she adds.

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