Mumbai, 21 July 2025 (UTN). After a memorable performance last year, National Award-winning Hindustani Classical vocalist Mahesh Kale returned to Kolkata this July with his much-acclaimed musical experience, ‘Abhangwari’. Held on 20th July at the iconic GD Birla Sabhaghar, the classical and devotional concert played to a packed auditorium as Kale once again struck a deep chord with the city’s music lovers.

Kolkata has long held a special place in India’s cultural map. Its audiences are known not just for their appreciation of music, but for how thoughtfully and emotionally they receive it. For an artist like Mahesh Kale, who holds two master’s degrees in engineering and gave up a lucrative job in the heart of Silicon Valley to pursue his mission of taking Hindustani classical music to wider audiences, this connection runs deep. “I always feel a beautiful sense of dialogue when I perform in Kolkata,” Mahesh Kale shared. “The city listens with both its mind and its heart, and that is rare.”

‘Abhangwari’ is a musical journey that draws from the timeless Bhakti tradition, featuring abhangs dedicated to Lord Vitthal. The evening in Kolkata saw Kale bring alive compositions such as Sukhache Je Sukh, Abeer Gulal, Bolava Vitthal, and Sada Majhe Dola among others, responding intuitively to the mood in the auditorium.

This year, Kale has taken ‘Abhangwari’ to audiences across the United States, Canada, and Europe, with performances in cities including Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, Stockholm, New Jersey, Chicago, and Vancouver. The India leg of the tour began in June, covering Indore, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru, Nagpur, and Chennai, culminating with the final concert in Kolkata.

A disciple of the legendary Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Mahesh Kale is widely regarded for his ability to blend classical rigour with emotional immediacy. Based in San Francisco, he runs the Mahesh Kale School of Music and has collaborated with icons across genres to take Indian classical music to new frontiers. At his recent concert in Mumbai, he also unveiled a new song titled ‘Abhangwari’, a soulful piece sung and composed by him, capturing the spirit of the musical journey he’s been taking over the years.

Interestingly, both the concert and the song draw inspiration from the wari – the centuries-old pilgrimage to Pandharpur (Maharashtra) that lakhs of devotees undertake every year. Kale has thoughtfully curated ‘Abhangwari’ for all those who may not be able to make the physical journey, bringing the devotion and energy of the wari into concert halls and people’s homes.

Mumbai-Reporter,( Hitesh Jain ).

Mumbai, 21 July 2025 (UTN). After a memorable performance last year, National Award-winning Hindustani Classical vocalist Mahesh Kale returned to Kolkata this July with his much-acclaimed musical experience, ‘Abhangwari’. Held on 20th July at the iconic GD Birla Sabhaghar, the classical and devotional concert played to a packed auditorium as Kale once again struck a deep chord with the city’s music lovers.

Kolkata has long held a special place in India’s cultural map. Its audiences are known not just for their appreciation of music, but for how thoughtfully and emotionally they receive it. For an artist like Mahesh Kale, who holds two master’s degrees in engineering and gave up a lucrative job in the heart of Silicon Valley to pursue his mission of taking Hindustani classical music to wider audiences, this connection runs deep. “I always feel a beautiful sense of dialogue when I perform in Kolkata,” Mahesh Kale shared. “The city listens with both its mind and its heart, and that is rare.”

‘Abhangwari’ is a musical journey that draws from the timeless Bhakti tradition, featuring abhangs dedicated to Lord Vitthal. The evening in Kolkata saw Kale bring alive compositions such as Sukhache Je Sukh, Abeer Gulal, Bolava Vitthal, and Sada Majhe Dola among others, responding intuitively to the mood in the auditorium.

This year, Kale has taken ‘Abhangwari’ to audiences across the United States, Canada, and Europe, with performances in cities including Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, Stockholm, New Jersey, Chicago, and Vancouver. The India leg of the tour began in June, covering Indore, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru, Nagpur, and Chennai, culminating with the final concert in Kolkata.

A disciple of the legendary Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Mahesh Kale is widely regarded for his ability to blend classical rigour with emotional immediacy. Based in San Francisco, he runs the Mahesh Kale School of Music and has collaborated with icons across genres to take Indian classical music to new frontiers. At his recent concert in Mumbai, he also unveiled a new song titled ‘Abhangwari’, a soulful piece sung and composed by him, capturing the spirit of the musical journey he’s been taking over the years.

Interestingly, both the concert and the song draw inspiration from the wari – the centuries-old pilgrimage to Pandharpur (Maharashtra) that lakhs of devotees undertake every year. Kale has thoughtfully curated ‘Abhangwari’ for all those who may not be able to make the physical journey, bringing the devotion and energy of the wari into concert halls and people’s homes.

Mumbai-Reporter,( Hitesh Jain ).