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News |  25 Jan 2010 12:17 |  By RnMTeam

Pandit Dinkar Kaikini no more

MUMBAI:  Singer, composer and guru of Agra-Bhatkhande tradition, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini who was also fondly known as 'Dinarang' passed away on 23 January 2010 around 10. 15 a.m. He was 82.

Born in 1927 at Kaikini in South Karnataka, Kaikini was motivated to pursue music after he attended a concert where greats like Ustad Alladiya Khan, Ustad Faiyaz Khan and Ustad Abdul Karim Khan performed. Upon hearing Ustad Faiyaz Khan, the young boy knew that he must devote his life to this art form and to the particular style of Faiyaz Khan Saheb himself.

Kaikini had learned under greats like Pandit Karekatte Nagesh Rao, Pandit Omkarnath Thakur (Gwalior Gharana), Pandit S N Ratanjankar (disciple of Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande and Ustad Faiyaz Khan)  Kaikini spent his formative years receiving the rigorous training that helped him develop a keen sense of aesthetics as well as a passion for teaching and imparting knowledge. He received the prestigious Bhatkhande Gold Medal for Khayal singing in 1943, following his performance in the final Bachelor of Music examination.

He also held prominent positions in the music field and spent long years with All India Radio starting from 1954 - first as composer, and then as producer. He was also Assistant Director for the Directorate, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This was followed by a long tenure as Principal at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan`s Music and Dance School, Mumbai. As Principal, Kaikini furthered his long-standing belief in promoting music through education and awareness.

Throughout his life, Kaikini was a prolific composer, having composed hundreds of compositions in styles like khayal, dhrupad, dhamar, thumri and bhajan, as well as several new ragas. His compositions have also been pioneering: he has composed for large choruses and set music for films and the ballet production, `Discovery of India` with Pandit Ravi Shankar.

In recognition of his tremendous contribution to music, the honours that have come his way have been numerous. These include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, the Tansen Award, Sangeet Ratna (Swar Sadhana Samitee, Mumbai), Sharangdev Award (Sur Singar Samsad) and the ITC Award, to name just a few.

He left behind him, his daughter and disciple Smt. Aditi Kaikini Upadhya,  a renowned exponent of Hindustani Sangeet and  son Pandit Yogesh Shamsi, a renowned tabla player.

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