Shubha Mudgal

Born in 1959 into a musically dedicated family, Shubha Mudgal has been trained by some of the finest musicians and musicologists in India. Trained initially as a khayal singer by Pandit Ram Ashreya Jha in Allahabad, Shubha later moved to Delhi where she received the guidance of Pandit Vinay Chandra Maudgalya and Pandit Vasant Thakar. She went on to learn stylistic techniques from well-known maestro Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki and the legendary Pandit Kumar Gandharva. She also received training in thumri from Smt. Naina Devi and is thus one of the most versatile and popular performers of the new generation of Hindustani musicians.

Though her basic training was in the tradition of the Gwalior gharana, her search has led her to assimilate other influences; hence, she does not lay claim to the lineage of any particular gharana. It is her association with Pt. Kumar Gandharva which changed her entire perception of music and the shadow of his musical identity is now ever-present in her work.

In addition to being a performer, Shubha has also won recognition as a composer, much of which has not yet been recorded. Her repertoire of medieval mystic bhakti (devotional) and sufi poetry. includes rarely heard texts from the Vaishnava pushti-marg poets as well as the nirguna poetry of Kabir, Namdev, Amir Khusrau, Nath-pant poets and other Sufiana poetry. As a result of studying and setting to tune this poetry, she is able to present full concerts on the following themes:

• Kabir Parva, or the work of Kabir.
• Meera Parva, or the work of Meera.
• Tulsi Parva, or the work of Tulsi.
• Soor Parva, or selected texts from the Soor Sagar.
• Rita-Ritu, the theme of Cosmic Order and Chaos as expressed in Malik Mohammad Jaysi's "Padmavat" and other medieval texts.
• The Voice of the Sacred in Our Times, selected texts from Sanskrit, Brajbhasha and other Indian dialects.
• Baramasa, a selection of songs on the twelve months from different sources.
• Utsav, a selection of pushti-margi texts on the theme of seasonal celebrations such as Holi, Diwali, Vasant, etc.
• Rasikapriya, a selection from Keshav Das' "Rasikapriya."

Shubha enjoys working with creators in all mediums; she has thus composed music for dancers (Sonal Mansingh, Aditi Mangaldas, Prerna Shrimali), ballets (Meera, Krishna Katha), documentary film-makers (Meera Dewan's Amrit Beej), TV signature tune, television serials, advertising films etc., and composed for special occasions such as the British Museum's inauguration of the Padshah Nama exhibition, vernissage of painting exhibition. Recently, she has worked with film directors such as Mira Nair (Kama Sutra - A Tale of Love) and Rajan Khosa (Dance of the wind, Pandora Films, Germany).

In Her Own Words:

"My music is primarily of the Gwalior gharana. Though I, like my guru Kumar Gandharva, never adhered to a tradition rigidly. He too was called a rebel. But it is not so. Earlier it was difficult for musicians to hear one another. Now everyone is accessible. So when I hear a raaga rendered in a style which impresses me, I accept it."

Awards

• Padma Shri, 2002
• Kalashri Award from Raja Ram Mohan Roy Education Foundation, 1997
• Best Music Direction in a non-feature film for her music in the documentary "Amrit Beej" by Meera Dewan, at the National Film Festival of India, 1996
• Aadharshila Award, 1996
• Surmani from Sur Singar Samsad, 1982