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Review of Kedar's accompaniment of Veena Sahasrabuddhe in Stamford CT in October 2007 by Dr. Stan Scott in Connecticut Indian Life magazine.
Kedar Naphade's harmonium accompaniment followed Sahasrabuddhe's singing as closely as her shadow. His genius lies in the ability to anticipate and respond instantly to that which he seems to hear, not only in the voice of the singer, but in her mind as she conceives of the next phrase of music. He is one of the finest accompanists in the younger generation of harmonium players, blessed not only with a marvelous ear but with fingers that can mimic most of the subtle ornaments and inflections of Hindustani vocal music.
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Dr Ramesh Gangolli on Kedar's accompaniment of Smt. Laxmi Shankar in July 2007 in Seattle, WA.
Kedar was in excellent form, following Lakshmiji's every phrase faithfully ex tempore, stimulating her to new variations when she gave him scope to play little passages on his own, always keeping his development consistent with the aesthetic choices of pace and mood set by the main performer. He is clearly a star on the rise.
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Review of July 2003 concert in Hopkinton, MA by Warren Senders
Kedar gave a multi-part presentation of harmonium solo: a long hamsadhwani with gats in slow jhaptaal, medium and fast teental, this last item was a composition of Kedar's Guru Tulsidas Borkar which displayed Kedar's prestidigital dexteritiy to good effect. Kedar is a virtuoso player, and his musicality and intelligence made this instrumental interlude enjoyable and rewarding.
Kedar Naphade's accompaniment exemplifies the idea that good melodic sangat is the highest form of daad. Kedar's penetrating musical intelligence means that he hears and understands the vocalists' phrases completely, and his thoughtful and virtuosic restatements are charged with the empathy and awareness of a true rasika.