Mahesh Kale, a National Award-winning vocalist, shares his journey in Indian Classical Music, from his early days of growing up in a musical household to his training under the legendary Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki. With a passion that transcends genres, Kale blends tradition with innovation, making Indian Classical Music accessible to a global audience. Through his music and educational initiatives, Kale aims to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of India, inspiring a new generation of music lovers and artists.
Like any middle-class household in Pune at the time, my family also had music as a part of their lives. Every celebration, be it a thread ceremony, engagement, wedding, or festival, culminated in a baithak or a musical get-together of the entire family. So, from my perspective growing up, music was something that accompanied joy and celebration.
Training under Jitendra Abhisheki was like a dream come true. It was almost like I was sitting in front of God, absorbing as much as I could. Every single day felt like a dream that I lived.
Even today, the highlight or the golden period of my musical journey is sitting in front of my Guruji and imbibing all those pearls of wisdom. At the time, it seemed laborious because I was just starting college and studying engineering. I had to balance my life between academic submissions and music.
I had to budget my sleep and free time, but being in his presence made it all more than worth it, and I wouldn’t change a singl.