Italian Dhrupad singer and kathak dancer Amelia Cuni (1958–2024) was among the most revered practitioners of her form in the West, occupying an unprecedented position as an artist who both reinvented and reinvigorated Indian classical traditions through extended contemporary Western experimental modes.
Having trained for over a decade in India under the guidance of renowned masters, including R. Fahimuddin Dagar, Bidur Mallik and Dilip Chandra Vedi, she developed a singular voice that bridged the ancient and the avant-garde, collaborating with figures from Hindustani classical music, minimalist composition, and electroacoustic sound art.
Her work seamlessly wove the meditative depth of Dhrupad with the exploratory spirit of the North American and European avant-garde, pushing the boundaries of vocal expression while remaining deeply rooted in tradition. Across her prolific career, Cuni performed on global stages, recorded extensively, and mentored a new generation of artists committed to cross-cultural innovation.
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