Overview
Ajit Kadkade is an Indian playback and devotional singer best known for his work in Marathi music. He has performed extensively in the genres of bhaktigeet (devotional songs), bhavgeet (lyrical songs), natyasangeet (Marathi musical theatre songs) and Marathi film playback singing. His renditions of abhangs of saint-poets such as Tukaram, Dnyaneshwar and Namdev have given him a sustained following among listeners of Marathi devotional music.
Key facts
| Name | Ajit Kadkade |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Singer |
| Primary language of work | Marathi |
| Genres | Bhaktigeet, bhavgeet, natyasangeet, film playback |
Background
Kadkade trained in Hindustani classical music, which forms the basis of his approach to lighter genres such as devotional and lyrical songs. Like many singers of his generation working in Marathi music, he combined a classical grounding with the melodic sensibilities of the bhavgeet and abhang traditions that have long been central to popular music in Maharashtra.
Career
Kadkade built his reputation primarily through devotional recordings, with abhangs of the Varkari saints forming a significant portion of his repertoire. His albums of bhaktigeet, often released by leading Indian music labels, are widely heard during festivals such as Ashadhi Ekadashi and the annual Pandharpur Wari, when devotional music dedicated to Vithoba of Pandharpur is in particular demand.
Alongside devotional work, he has sung for Marathi films and contributed to natyasangeet, the genre associated with Marathi musical theatre. He has also performed in concerts and stage programmes across Maharashtra and at venues for the Marathi-speaking diaspora.
Significance
Within Marathi popular and devotional music, Kadkade is regarded as one of the singers who carried the abhang and bhaktigeet traditions into the late twentieth and early twenty-first century recording industry. His work sits alongside that of earlier and contemporary Marathi singers in keeping the saint-poetry of Maharashtra accessible to general audiences through commercial recordings, radio and stage performances.
Related topics
References
- Wikidata entity: Q15723142