Remembering Malini Rajurkar: Classical Vocalist Known for her “Tappa” Recitals

Renowned Hindustani Classical Singer Malini Rajurkar of the Gwalior Gharana passed away on September 6, at the age of 82. She was especially admired for her “Tappa” recitals.

Malini Rajurkar was sometimes recognized as the ‘Gwalior nightingale’ by her admirers, owing to her captivating voice, which sadly won’t be heard anymore. The Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee passed away on September 6,  following age-related issues. Her long-term friend and author Vidya Deodhar informed, “She had pledged her body for medical studies and accordingly, it will be donated to Osmania Medical College”. 

Born in Ajmer, in 1941, Rajurkar worked as a maths teacher for three years before she won a three-year scholarship to pursue her passion for music. She trained in music at Ajmer Music College under Govindrao and Vasantrao Rajurkar, who later became her husband.

Gwalior Gharana, of which Malini is an authentic exponent, is considered the origin of vocal music, to which most gharanas can be traced and because of that, she created a special bond with the audience in Pune at the annual Sawai Gandharva festival for nearly five decades. Her captivating tappa recital, soulful khayal renditions, and mesmerizing natya sangeet performances captivated them and most recalled her “Yaa Bhavanatil Geet Purane”.

Pandit Bhimsen Joshi’s son Shriniwas recalled,” She was pregnant when she sang for the first time at Sawai Gandharva. Panditji tuned her tanpura which calmed her nerves.”
Famous Hindustani classical singers Sanjeev Abhyankar and Prabha Atre both condoled Rajutkar’s death while remembering her as someone who expressed pride in her art form and refused to let it be oversimplified.

At her Sawai Gandharva recital in December 2015, Maliniji was not happy with her singing and instead praised her harmonium accompanist saying, “I am singing because of him”. This highlights Rajurkar’s rare humility and integrity towards her craft, a rarity in today’s world where many popular singers rely on autotune and lip-sync during performances. Mohan Hemmadi, president of Surmandal, a Hyderabad-based group of music enthusiasts, and a fan of Maliniji said, “Tai always treated her accompanying artists as her equals. Her death is a great loss to the music world and her admirers”.
Everyone who knew Malini Rajurkar, besides her prowess as a vocalist, remembers her as an epitome of simplicity and depth. Despite possessing the qualities of a great musician, she did not seek out fame or media attention. Instead, she focused solely on her music without any unnecessary distractions. Perhaps, this describes a genuine artist, and most importantly, a remarkable human being. 

Noted singer Sawani Shende-Sathye mourned Rajurkar’s death saying, “My regret is that she was never honoured with any Padma award”.

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