Kishori Amonkar

A music student of Kishori Amonkar says the singer renowned for her innovative interpretation of classical Indian music has died. Gandhar Bedekar says the 84-year-old Amonkar died late Monday at her home in central Mumbai after a brief illness. One of the leading lights of the Jaipur "gharana" or community of musicians, Amonkar was trained by her mother who was also a well-known singer.

Amonkar developed her own distinctive style, drawing on influences from other schools of Indian classical music. Music students in India often live with their mentors, and Bedekar's mother was one of Amonkar's oldest disciples. For her contribution to the popularization and development of classical Indian music, the government honored her with two of the country's top civilian honors.-AP