Pune: Renowned classical singer and Padma Vibhushan recipient Dr Prabha Atre passed away following a cardiac arrest at her residence here at the age of 92 early on Saturday, sources close to her said.
Atre, a torch-bearer of the Kirana Gharana of Hindustani classical music, had been honoured with all three Padma awards by the Indian government.
“Atre suffered a cardiac arrest during her sleep at her residence. She was rushed to Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital, where she was declared dead at 5.30 am,” a source said.
Since some of the close family members of Atre live abroad, her funeral will be performed once they arrive, the source added.
She was supposed to leave for Mumbai on Saturday to perform at “Swarprabha” programme.
Born on September 13, 1932, Atre was known for her multi-faceted personality.
Besides being a classical vocalist, she also excelled as an academician, researcher, composer and author. A science and law graduate, she had a doctorate in music.
She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the nation’s second-highest civilian honour, in January 2022. She was earlier honoured with the Padma Shri award in 1990 and the Padma Bhushan in 2002.
Atre was adept at different musical genres, including khyaal, tarana, thumri, dadra, ghazal and bhajan.
With her demise, Indian classical music has lost two legends within a week as Ustad Rashid Khan passed away on Tuesday in Kolkata following his battle with cancer.
The internationally renowned Hindustani classical music vocalist from the Kirana Gharana defied many a stereotype, had no musical background and didn’t follow tradition blindly either. In fact, she would say quite simply that singing was better than dissecting frogs or defending criminals.
“I was studying science and then law and never thought in my wildest dream that I would be a musician. My parents were into academics and in fact my mother’s illness brought music to our house. She used to learn the harmonium and I used to sit beside her. She left music but I continued,” Atre told news agency in January 2022 after receiving the Padma Vibhushan, the nation’s second highest civilian honour.
For aficionados in Mumbai waiting for her last concert that never will be, Atre left behind a treasure trove of work combining tradition, modernity and innovation that will long play on.
Atre was a pioneer in popularising Indian classical music in the west, giving her first performance in 1969. She displayed constant innovation and creative endeavour in treatment, design and presentation of the musical material. Whether khyaal’, tarana’, thumri’, dadra’, ghazal’, or bhajan’, her sincerity to her art and sensitivity to the times clearly surfaced in her thinking and her singing.
She also composed new ragas such as Apoorva Kalyan, Madhurkans, Patdeep, Tilang, Bhairav, Bhimkali and Ravi Bhairav.
At a young age, she played leading roles in Marathi stage musicals, including “Sangeet Sharda”, “Sangeet Vidyaharan”, “Sangeet Shakkallol”, “Sangeet Mrichchakatik”, “Biraj Bahu” and “Lilaw”.
Atre was closely associated with the Sawai Gandharva Bhimsen Mahotsav in Pune, a significant event in the country’s cultural calendar initiated by Pandit Bhimsen Joshi in memory of his guru. Until he retired in 2006, Joshi would close the festival. He then chose Atre, who carried the tradition forward even after his death in
2011.