Kalapini Komkali

Endowed with wholly original, melodious and extremely rich voice, Kalapini is widely recognized as one of the finest and well - trained classical vocalists of the younger generation.

With great pleasure I would like to share, that in year 2003, I was extremely lucky that eminent Music Critique Shri. Raghav Menon wrote the following about me:

Kalapini Komkali Indian Classical Musician (Vocal)

Kalapini Komkali is the daughter and disciple of Pandit Kumar Gandharva and Vidushi Smt. Vasundhara Komkali. An awesome inheritance resides in her genes. The curious consequence of this circumstance is that her music is not only an affirmation of what is called the Gwalior Gayaki, but also a further evolution of the Gayaki of Kumar Gandharva which wholly reconstructed, revolutionized and transformed Hindustani classical music. This a difficult inheritance to claim and build upon.

Merely developing a Gayaki of the weave and quality of that inheritance is a daunting enough task, which Kalapini has been able to fashion with grace and beauty, and there can be little doubt now of Kalapini’s exceptional musical distinction in her life’s work.

Her voice and musical presence already possess exceptional implications, and that would remain a matter of abiding curiosity and interest as she continues to mature. Most of all she is capable of shattering effort and dedication which are even more important than any gift, mere mainstream intelligence or other natural inheritance with which she might have been endowed.

Kalapini can be said to possess an Alto just a little husky but true as a blade. Her Akar is perhaps the closest yet to that of Kumar Gandharva, a magical mixture of the five vowels that make language ring true and unforgettable. She uses much the same technique her father used to do, that lets you hear the swara as part of the raga and the swara also as pure swara kindled separately and individually. No two people can ever do this in the same way, but when it is achieved the listener notices its strange impact. The next thing is to listen to the Sahitya of the Bandishes with its gentle folk intonations, the whisper of the land of Malwa which Kumarji first brought to life.

If you possess a true Gayaki it can never be imitative. It is a living and growing thing that develops with the life lived. You do not get the whole of the Gayaki at once. What you get is a life which only means that you merely get the means of making a Gayaki which becomes your life. Listening to Kalapini, you recognize that she has all the means at her disposal that she can ever get from other lives, even if the lives are those of Kumar Gandharva and Vasundhara Komakali.

Kalapini has performed widely across the country in many prestigious music festivals, and has been appreciated by connoisseurs and young audiences alike. Shie lives in Dewas (MP) and is an active trustee of the Kumar Gandharva Sangeet Academy, which has been structured to present and promote his genius. She has been honoured with the Kumar Gandharva Award from the prestigious Pujari Pratishthan at Pune. Her cassettes released include ‘Aarambha’ and ‘Inheritance’ by HMV; and ‘Dharohar’ and ‘Aarambh’ by Times Music. A live concert CD “Swar-Manjiri” has been released by Virgin records. Her singing is part of the films “Paheli” and “Devi-Ahilya”. She gives concerts regularly as a soloist, and jointly with her mother and guru, Vasundhara Komakali. Particularly appreciated is the classical music based on the folk tradition from Malwa, and her nirgun and sagun bhakti.