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Kolkata: Renowned classical singer Pandit Vijay Kumar Kichlu passed away at a hospital on Friday evening following breathing problems. Kitchlew, a Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, was 93. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed grief over his death. The hospital issued a statement saying that Pandit Kitchlu was brought in a critical condition. He suffered a heart attack even before the treatment started. He passed away at around 6.20 in the evening.
The singer was suffering from cardiac problems and other ailments for a long time. He was also admitted to the same hospital last month after suffering a heart attack. Then he was treated there for two weeks. It is known that Pandit Kitchlu was born in 1930. He formed a popular classical singer duo with his brother Ravi Kitchlu. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018.
Yakshagana artiste Baliga Narayana Bhagavatha passed away
Notably, veteran Yakshagana playback singer and screenwriter B. Narayan Bhagwat passed away on Thursday. He breathed his last at his residence near Moodabidri in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. He was 84 years old. Bhagwat belonged to Maruru near Moodbidri. His sons are Madhav, Shashidhar and Shivshankar, who are also famous Yakshagana playback singers. His wife Jayalakshmi has passed away.
Bhagavatha had mastered a unique style of singing, which fans have named Balipa style. He had a rich voice and wrote more than 30 Yakshagana prasangas (scripts). It is known that Bhagavatha was born on March 19, 1938 in Padre village of Kasargod district of Kerala. Later his family shifted to Maruru. He belonged to a family of Yakshagana artists.
Pandit Vijay Kumar Kichlu was born in the year 1930. He formed a popular classical singer duo with his brother Ravi Kitchlu. He was the founder and head of the ITC Music Research Academy for 25 years. He also established the Sangeet Anusandhan Academy to help the budding talents in Indian classical music. Kichlu was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018.
At the same time, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed deep sorrow over the demise of great musician Pandit Vijay Kumar Kichlu. Expressing her condolences to Kitchlu’s family members and fans, Mamata Banerjee described the loss as irreparable.
