Kedar Bodas

Born in family of professional musicians, Kedar Bodas is the son of Sri Narayan Bodas, a well-known singer and teacher of the Gwalior and Agra Gharana-s as well as a professional actor-singer on the Marathi stage. Kedar had his earliest training from his grandfather, Pandit Lakshmanrao Bodas who was a direct disciple of Pandit Vishnu Digambar Paluskar of the Gwalior Gharana. Kedar thus grew up in an atmosphere conducive to his musical education. As a child he was also fond of playing tabla which he studied under Pandit Pandurang Salunkhe (disciple of Ustad Amir Hussain Khan) and Pandit Shreedhar Padhye (disciple of Pandit Kerkar Master) His training in tabla gave him an early insight into the formal and rhythmic aspect of Hindustani Music; however, he was instintively attracted to vocal music and the freedom of expression he felt it gave him.

In 1979, Kedar became a student of Dr. Ashok Ranade. Dr. Ranade, with his profound musicological vision, acquainted Kedar with the various styles he had imbibed from his own mentors, namely, Pandit Gajananrao Joshi, Pandit B.R. Deodhar, Pandit Prahladpant Ganu and Pandit Lakshmanrao Bodas. Over the years, Kedar has thus received deep exposure to various musicological positions and to the finer subtleties of gayaki in the Gwalior, Agra, and Jaipur traditions. In his search for musical awareness, Kedar came to be closely associated for some years, with Pandit Ram Marathe whose music he has been deeply influenced by, though he did not receive direct training under him. Kedar's own style of presentation and improvisation is thus a complex compound.of various elements. He has developed, over the years an eclectic and even esoteric approach to music, absorbing and rejecting various aspects at different periods of his musical growth.

A serious musical scholar, with a firm academic grounding in the formal aspects of Raag, Taal and Bandish, Kedar is also a fine and entertaining performer. His music shows a fidelity to compositional form that is growing increasingly rare in the younger generation of musicians.In terms of presentation and structural thought, he feels deeply influenced by old recordings of Pandit D.V. Paluskar and by the music of Pandit Gajananrao Joshi whom he has heard live on numerous occasions. At the level of pure inspiration, however, he feels increasingly drawn towards the music of Pandit Kumar Gandharva.

Kedar has also been receiving guidance from Pandit C.P. Rele. (disciple of Pandit B.R. Deodhar and gurubandhu of Pandit Kumar Gandharva) . Releji has taught him numerous compositions including his own. He has been giving Kedar a fresh perspective on raag-structure and improvisation.

Kedar has also received direct "Talim" from Guru Late Pandit T.D. Janorikar who was the last surviving doyen of the Bhendibazaar Gharana. Janorikarji, who was a disciple of Pandit Vinayakrao Patwardhan, Ustad Aman Ali Khan Saheb, and Anjanibai Malpekar, initiated Kedar into the meerkhand technique and the aesthetics and compositions of the Bhendibazaar gharana. Janorikarji's taleem has opened new avenues for Kedar, particularly in the area of tonal beauty and is giving him deeper insights into the nature of 'svar'. Janorikarji is also teaching Kedar some rare raga-s which have lost currency in recent times.

Interestingly, Kedar is also a linguist and has done a four-year post-advanced-course in Russian at the House of Soviet Culture, under Dr. Kulbalkin and Dr. Mayvesky. Being involved in Russian Language Studies also gave him exposure to western Classical and Russian folk music. He has also performed Russian classical songs and folk-songs on stage and acted in one-act-plays in Russian.

Kedar has composed music for six documentary films along with director Sudeep Bose. He performs regularly in various parts of the country. His classical concerts have been very well received by stalwarts, artists of his own generation, and the general public.