When she speaks about Indian classical music as the fulcrum of her life, Kalapini Komkali's immersion in the tradition is palpable. On the day the noted singer arrives in Mumbai for a classical monsoon melodies concert at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalya, we speak to Dewas-based Komkali, whose widely recognised rich and original voice bears testimony to her musical upbringing.

"The question of having another approach to music doesn't arise because I have been brought up with that thought. My parents have been my gurus, and while they imparted this approach to their disciples, their vision was broad enough to not impose their musical style on anyone," says Komkali about her father and legendary classical singer, Kumar Gandharva, known for his refusal to be tied down to one particular gharana, and mother, Vidushi Vasundhara Komkali, another eminent musician.