R.K.Srikantan

The Jaipur gharana of Hindustani music, particularly the gayaki of Kishori Amonkar, was in focus at a three-day music samaroh or festival, held 15- 17 September in Bhopal. The festival was organised by Bharat Bhavan, the multiarts cultural complex, with the collaboration of Optel Telecommunications, the North-Central Zone Cultural Centre and the Department of Culture of the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of India.

The festival presented vocal recitals by all but a few of the musicians belonging to the Jaipur gharana, either to its core or to its fringes, as well as talks and discussions on the gharana in general and Kishori Amonkar in particular. At one point, the first lady of the gharana spoke about her own outlook and approaches.