Vocalist Mahesh Kale, who is touring India to mark the festival of Ashadi Ekadashi, stresses the need to introduce classical music to the youth
Mahesh Kale during one of his performances. Pics/X, Instagram
There is something about Mahesh Kale’s music that transcends age. Whether in India or abroad, silver-haired connoisseurs sit alongside hoodie-clad millennials as they listen in rapture to the classical vocalist at his concerts. Tell him he commands the fan following of a rock star, and he smiles before saying, “Whether I look like a rock star or not, you should ask the audience. I don’t know what a rock star is supposed to feel like. Something I’m doing is probably vibing with the younger generation.”
Kale, who lives in Silicon Valley, is currently taking his Abhangwari Tour across India to mark Ashadi Ekadashi, a festival in Maharashtra that celebrates the beginning of Lord Vishnu’s four-month slumber, known as Chaturmas. On this sacred day, Lord Vitthal’s devotees undertake a pilgrimage to Pandharpur. The singer’s eight-city tour is dedicated entirely to abhangs, devotional songs dedicated to Lord Vitthal. “Devotion is in the air. Performing during this time feels like walking musically with the pilgrims,” says Kale.
The singer, who has built a rich 20-year career on classical and devotional music, explains that his approach is rooted in the traditional concepts of ‘Prachar’ and ‘Prasar’ — awareness and outreach. He particularly wants to reach out to the younger generation. His reason is simple. “I want to ensure the traditional audience stays, but also that the younger generation joins in. Your art is only as sustainable as the age of your audience. If the average listener is 80, you have 20 more years. But if they’re 20, you have 80 more years.”
That’s why he lays emphasis on making his music accessible. Noting the cultural shift toward accessibility, he explains, “Look at the world now. Even the richest people are called by their first names: Elon [Musk], [late] Steve [Jobs]. Formality has made way for relatability. Why shouldn’t classical music do the same, without compromising reverence?”
Detractors often argue that in chasing accessibility, music loses its purity. What does he have to say about that, especially when music consumption is rapidly changing in the age of algorithms and social media-driven sound bytes? “People often ask how much of a purist I am. But what is pure? Ragas weren’t invented by writing the rules first. They came from inspiration, and rules were observed after. If something survives, it is pure.”
To him, music, its beauty, and its power are to be shared with people. To make his point, he recounts a touching encounter with an 87-year-old fan in Baroda. “She said, ‘I won’t be around next year.’ I told her, ‘You better live till 90!’” Kale laughs before noting, “If something so simple — just me singing — can bring that much joy, it must be shared again and again. That’s what drives me.”
Kale performed in Mumbai on July 5, followed by a concert in Pune on July 6. As he readies for the next leg, we ask him about his pet peeves during performances. He laughs gently before saying, “People listen to my songs on their phones a hundred times. But when I’m right in front of them, they still pull out their phones to record. I have to remind them — this is the time to listen, not record.”
What is an abhang?
Abhang is a form of devotional poetry, popular in Maharashtra, sung in praise of Lord Vitthal. These lyrical compositions are set to music and often performed in a rhythmic, uplifting style during bhakti gatherings.
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