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Simply SHUBHA
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"Music is my medium and some of my songs are connected to social causes. Each kind of music has its place and I am not concerned with sales figures"
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YOU'RE TONGUE-tied upon meeting Hindustani exponent Shubha Mudgal. It's not her stature that causes that effect; it's the anti-climax. You go in expecting to meet a star, but see someone who looks like an extension of your mother. And, speaks like that too.
Her eyes twinkling with excitement when she talks about her passion, music, Shubha takes you along with her on a musical journey when she goes about explaining compositions and speaking about her music and gurus.
There are not many lovers of Hindustani classical in Coimbatore and her performance at the September Season 2003, organised by the Rajalakshmi Fine Arts, was more an attempt to get people to listen to the North Indian counterpart of Carnatic music.
Elegant - looking in a black saree and her trademark red and black bindi, the singer says that though she might find fewer people in the audience in South India, "there is the advantage of an informed gathering. You know that an informed mind is listening to you. It is a pleasure to perform in areas where music is held in high esteem."
The audience here is more familiar with the Indi-pop avatar of Shubha and don't know that she has been singing pure classical music for more than 20 years now.
Television audiences saw her as the bubbly singer in the music video of "Ab ke saawan", where she song about the rain. Subsequent videos did not repeat that magic. "The credit for the success of that song must go to the director. He brought me to the sets for a limited time. And, most importantly my role was something I was comfortable with. Everyone loves being in the rain."
As for "Man Ke Manjeere", which made a strong feminist statement, "Many of those ideas matched my ideas." "In many countries, popular culture is used to speak about social issues, but it is not very common in India. The industry feels songs with a cause will not sell. To them I say - Music is my medium and some of my songs are connected to social causes. Each kind of music has its place and I am not concerned with sales figures. But, I don't associate with something I don't believe in."
How does it feel working with Aneesh Pradhan, her husband and tabla player? "I knew Aneesh long before we got married. We were working together on the website I started. We have a mutual respect and you can say many things that you cannot express while working with others. And, I don't have to worry about saying the wrong thing."
As for "Ankahi", "a very special exercise" for which Shubha and Aneesh collaborated with a whole lot of musicians, she says it was created in a spirit of bonhomie. "We were all willing to experiment. A special team was formed with Ankahi. Two of the poems featured were by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz. His daughter Saleema Hashmi gave us the permission to perform the songs and did not ask for a single paise as royalty."
One of the reasons why Shubha stands apart is her voice. Her resonant voice is her major asset. Was it difficult to break the perception that women had to have sweet voices? "No. Look at the divas of yesteryears. All their voices were full-throated because they had to be audible. As for me, initially, I did feel my voice was different, but those who taught me never let me think on that line. Anyway, instead of attempting to sing like someone else, it is best to work with what you have been given."
Family support is imperative for a woman to make it big in a chosen field, she feels. "It is possible to strike a balance between home and career. My son and husband are very supportive."
Of course, there are the other factors such as the hostility of women who seemingly decide that one does not spend enough time with the family, but "over a point of time, you learn to ignore them. They are irritants, but you feel uneasy only if you let them."
For those criticising classical singers who dabble in Indi-pop, she says: "My classical inflection shows in Indi-pop, it's not the other way round. And, I never mix the two while performing."
Understanding the lyrics is very important while singing she says, while listing two songs that are close to her heart. "Two songs in "Man Ke Manjeere" - "Babul" and "Maali" are very special. The first is a wedding song where a girl talks about the kind of husband she wants. She does not want an engineer or doctor, but a locksmith who will free her of all shackles."
Talking about Viva, India's first girl band, Shubha, who was on the screening panel, says it just shows how ideas have changed. "Fifty years ago, it was unheard of for families to let girls become pop artistes. Now, they come for the audition with parents and husbands." On the lukewarm success of the band, she feels that if the girls with "unique voices" had not been forced to bring out an album every six months or so, they would have done better.
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Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
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Madurai
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