Page 33 - Seniors Today -April20
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Mogubai Kurdikar was a perfectionist, and it showed in her flawless singing
occasionally, late Wamanrao Deshpande. gayaki ideally complemented my direct
She would say to me “Are, tu pan manatlya training at the hands of Smt. Kishoritai.
manat paath karun ghe astai ani chalan”. I began to see the characteristic of Maai’s
Apart from being present at numerous gayaki in some detail. Some of the unique
such sessions, I would often sit outside the characteristics were: (1) Very minute
music room, and hear Maai’s treatment of attention to the care and loving treatment of
singing the alaap, bol-alaap, bol-taan, and the swar, particularly the shrutis that were
her superbly architectured taans. I must just right for a given Raag and its mood.
admit that these direct and indirect hours (2) High importance to the aesthetics of
of hearing her at practice time made a presentation, particularly, the femininity
lasting impact on my own style of singing, of the treatment of any Raag that a female
apart from all that I have inherited from singer must always reflect. (3) The well
my primary Gurus Ustaad Majid Khan and thought-out and graceful way of singing
Smt Kishoritai. Many of the rare Raagas of “bol-alaap” and “bol taan”, particularly the
our gharana I have learnt indirectly from meticulous observance of simple rules that
Maai in this fashion. This has considerably add much grace, such as, the pronouncing of
complemented the wealth of music I have words softly and with a slightly descending
inherited from Smt Kishoritai. leading touch, without breaking the
All those years of minutely studying Maai’s meaning of the lyric, and shortening the
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #10 | APRIL 2020 33
