He’s been endearingly called the “unlikely rock star”. Within the genre of Indian classical music, it is often difficult to find the musician that is able to take the tradition of this art and share it with a contemporary audience. In this case, Mahesh Kale has made this seem quite easy. The Stanford Jazz Festival has referred to him as a “worldwide phenomenon, beloved for his enchanting, reverberant voice and his unique ability to interweave classical and popular music.” A disciple of the renowned Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Mahesh Kale is often hailed as an ambassador of Indian Classical music in a musical landscape that finds listeners faced with many choices. He was chosen as the 2015 recipient of India’s National Film Award, for his playback singing in the film “Katyar Kaljat Ghusli,”. He is also a judge on the popular Indian TV talent show Sur Nava Dhyas Nava, which seeks to promote youth art and performance. He splits his time between India and the San Francisco Bay Area, where he teaches music to hundreds of students and runs a foundation dedicated to preserve, nurture and celebrate Indian classical music.