There is not a soul in the world of Hindustani as well as Karnatak music that does not know the name Gaanasaraswati Kishori Amonkar. Lovingly called “Kishoritai”, she inherited the rich tradition of Jaipur Gharana from her mother and Guru, late Gaantapaswini Mogubai Kurdikar. While Kishoritai mastered all the richness and nuances of this Gharana through decades of focused Riyaaz under her mother and other Gurus, there was a magical unpredictability in her Khayal. It was complex and pulsating, yet profoundly meditative. She abhorred unnecessary displays of virtuosity, and warned those hankering for applause through on-stage gimmickry, that they were misusing the medium to excite listeners when, in essence, the role of music was to take them to a place of absolute silent devotion.

For Gaanasaraswati Kishoritai, the tonal purity of the sur reigned supreme, and it was her matchless ability to paint its delicate hues, invoking the most fragile microtones, that gave her singing that extraordinary luminosity. So tall were her artistic accomplishments that many core Raagas in the Hindustani pantheon came to be singularly associated with her renditions of them, making her a role model for many accomplished artists of the next generation. No wonder, she had emerged as the tallest of all avant-garde radical vocalists India has produced.