Music, moods, Mudgal!

Shubha Mudgal on how she developed an uninhibited approach towards singing

October 27, 2016 10:58 am | Updated December 02, 2016 12:01 pm IST

AN HONEST VOICE Shubha Mudgal

AN HONEST VOICE Shubha Mudgal

Shubha Mudgal – the name conjures up myriad images. Powerful voice, icon of women empowerment, thinking musician – all do represent some part of the person she is, yet fall short in defining the full personality.

Shubha has broken barriers with elan – whether it was entering and excelling in the world of popular music when she had barely established herself as a classical singer, with huge hits like “Ali More Angana” (1996). Frequently referred to as the rock star of classical music, Shubha has learnt from doyens like Pandit Ram Ashray Jha, Pandit Jitendra Abhishehki, Pandit Kumar Gandharva, Vidushi Naina Devi, and maintained a very strict rigid classical tradition. Yet today, she is equally known for hits like “Dholna” (1999) and “Ab ke Sawan” (2006) and has expanded her audience base hugely to include listeners who were not traditional classical music listeners. She has even sang songs in Punjabi, and recently rendered a Dushyant Kumar ghazal, “Kahan To Tay Tha Charaaghan Har Ek Ghar Ke Liye”, which signifies the present state of affairs.

Excerpts from a conversation on the sidelines of a five-day classical music festival in Simla.

Tell us about your early years.

I was born and brought up in Allahabad; my parents were lecturers at Allahabad University who gave me and my sister Ragini a very liberal upbringing with as much exposure to all the arts as was possible. I started learning Kathak at the age of four; only started learning classical music when I was 17 though I regularly attended concerts as a listener.

Pandit Ram Ashray Jha was my first teacher. After about 5-6 years of rigorous training, he permitted me to sing at short recitals or concerts featuring promising young musicians. Occasionally, he would permit me to accompany visiting artists on the tambura and provide vocal support to them. I remember I sang Bihag in my first public concert. He was a very open musician who encouraged me to respect, listen and try all. I learnt from him for about 30 years till he died. He even sometimes accompanied me on the harmonium on stage!

How did modernism or openness seep into your music?

Two reasons – primarily, the people I learnt from had an eclectic bent of mind; they themselves learnt from many different people, and sang different types of music. Pandit Ram Ashray Jha sang khayals, thumri, bhajans, folk songs, Tulsi Ramayana and much more – naturally I have never had any reservations about singing different forms of music. As you know, Pandit Kumar Gandharva was so influenced by folk tradition. You can’t close your ears to other genres, you have to be influenced if you are a thinking musician. Naina Devi herself learnt from several musicians. Ram Ashrayji used to say he learnt from 72 Gurus!

Secondly, I am not a “khandaani” musician; my parents encouraged me to hear all kinds of music. In the family, there were strong views on different genres of music which were voiced often quite forcefully, which perhaps helped me adopt an openness to music. My parents were deeply appreciative of the arts, and we heard all sorts of music. There was never any pressure to perform publicly, I was never asked “tum kab concert mein gaaogi”; it was left to the Guru to decide. So I developed a certain uninhibited approach to singing.

Tell us more about your journey in music.

My parents wanted me to move out of Allahabad to grow as a musician, as the home audiences were always very indulgent to me, and appreciative of my concerts. It was like “apne hi ghar ki bachchi ga rahi hai”. I moved to Delhi and started learning from Pandit Vinay Chandra Maudgalya “Bhaiji”. At the Gandharva Vidyalaya, I was exposed to many stalwarts who would come and lecture, Pandit K G Ginde, Rajabhai Kokje, and many more. I learnt many bandishes from these masters. I also then learnt from Naina Devi as I was very keen to learn thumri. Bhaiji came with me for my first taalim session there! I learnt from her for six years. I also learnt from Pandit Kumar Gandharva in the last 2 years of his life – I went to Dewas a couple of times too, as well as when he came to Delhi. Lastly, I learnt from Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki.

What is the reason behind the “honesty” in your music?

You will never hear traces of “Ali More Angana” in my Puriya Dhanashri, though, of course, you will hear my classical training in my popular songs! A deep sense of professionalism in all my Gurus has been transmitted to all of us students, my Guru bhais and behens. None of my Gurus were ever interested in commercial success or solicited concerts, and so I learnt to bring forth my music as it was, not trying to make it commercially appealing. They were deeply sincere to their music, so it’s obvious all of their students including me inherited this.

I enjoy whatever I do musically, and don’t feel apologetic about what or how I sing. If someone doesn’t like my work how can I demand they like it – there are imperfections! What I feel like singing also changes with time. I am not trying to mould myself into an appealing format. When I sing classical music, I take no liberties at all.

How did you enter the world of popular music?

It was purely by chance! I was recording in Delhi, and this music producer Jawahar Wattal heard me, we tried out a few things, and it grew from that.

Any achievement that you are proud of...

In 2003, my husband Anees Pradhan and I started UnderscoreRecords.com to serve as a platform to access diverse forms of Indian music. Our biggest wealth is that lots of musicians have put their trust in us, and allowed us to distribute their recordings. Kesarbai Kerkar’s earliest recordings were restored and published by the Society of Indian Record Collectors in collaboration with us.

We are lucky to have Pandit Ram Narayanji’s recordings, Ustad Abdul Halim Jaffar Khan’s music and lots more. The music remains the copyright of the artists, we just facilitate the distribution of the music at a price which goes back to the artists. Books on music can also be purchased from the site.

You are known to be a “thinking” musician...

Definitely, I love music and want to learn as much about it as I can. I have done my Masters in music, been a member of the Central Advisory Board of Education constituted by the Government of India, also chaired a high level group focusing on the need for introducing an arts education programme in mainstream school education. I maintain a blog where I write on music sporadically. I talk on music too – like I said I love all aspects of music!

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