Chandigarh, Feb 19, 2023:CONCEIVED in the memory of Sangeet Natak award-winning playwright Swadesh Deepak (of 'Court Martial' and 'Meine Mandu Nahin Dekha' fame), Elsewhere returned with ‘Rang Hori’, compositions on Basant and Holi by legendary musician and musicologist, and Padma Shri, Shubha Mudgal on February 19, at CII Chandigarh.
Speaking at a press conference before the concert, Shubha said, “When it comes to basant and holi, there is an inexhaustible wealth of compositions to be presented. In our tradition, so much has been written on and inspired by the seasons. I am fortunate enough to continue to be immersed in the khayal and thumri dadra forms for the last 40 years, to learn and perform them to my best.” says Shubha, whose last concert in town was a decade back, and is excited to be performing again after the pandemic. “People here are lovers of the arts and knowledgeable and it’s a pleasure performing here after such a long time,” says the queen of classical music, who was accompanied by Aneesh Pradhan on the tabla and Sudhir Nayak on harmonium.
Co-founder of Elsewhere, and Chairperson, CII-IWN, Nagina Bains, stressing the need to have more well-curated cultural events in the region said, "CII endeavors to promote art and culture for socio economic development as their theme for 2023-24 and what could be more befitting than to start the year with this concert. Also, we feel art and culture is limitless and can bring everyone in unison."
“The abundance of music related to Holi makes it one of the most attractive festivals for students of music like myself. While I grew up in the city of Allahabad (now named Prayagraj) playing Holi with all the colour, abeer-gulal, revelry, fun and celebrations associated with the festival, it is the music and the compositions associated with Holi that have in many ways been real life illustrations of the magnificent diversity and variety of Indian culture,” adds Shubha.
Born into a musically dedicated family, Shubha has been trained by some of the finest musicians and musicologists in India Shubha has also won recognition as a composer, and has been closely involved with several projects related to music education in India. Till we don’t give the same importance to music and the arts like we do to maths and science, or attach a tangible outcome to its study, children will never understand the value it adds to growth and development. Sadly, studying music or arts for a lifetime is not considered important enough. Success means winning a talent show and not otherwise. I fail to understand how one puts artistic urges in these parameters?” questions Shubha, adding how parents and guardians and schools need to expose children to all kinds of music and arts, and the splendid diversity this country offers in it.
In her quest to keep the arts alive, Shubha takes on students, and moulds them in her own ‘customised version’ of the Guru shishya parampara. “I’ve had the good fortune of having extremely generous and brilliant gurus who taught me everything. I try to follow their example, and in the process have formed my own way of teaching and learning from it.”
The world has changed post pandemic, digitalisation has taken over, technology calls the shots and artists have switched to the online mode. But for Shubha, the pandemic and its lockdown were traumatic. “An artist needs audience, and suddenly you’re in forced captivity, with no source of income. It was devastating, the artists suffered because the support to the arts was meagre. There was no attempt by any regulating authority to think or do something for the artist. A web camera that cost say Rs 3000, suddenly shot up to Rs 30,000 during the pandemic. There was no price regulation or funding. Senior artists couldn't even find a bed in the hospital, and so many left music and took up jobs that paid. We were told to cheer people with our music, but no one thought about us,” rues Shubha.
Compassionate and determined to help fellow artists, Shubha along with her husband and tabla maestro, Aneesh Pradhan, Sameera Iyengar, Rahul Vohra, Mona Irani and Arundhati Ghosh established ADAA (Assistance for Disaster Affected Artists) in 2020, and through collaboration with ten organisation in ten states, raised funds and financial supported 137 families of artists over six months. “What does one need during crisis? Assurance, and we gave that,” she says.
Shubha, along with Aneesh, has also established an online distribution platform for musicians specializing in diverse forms of Indian music through their website www.UnderscoreRecords.com. an effort to conserve or preserve these art forms,” says Shubha, consistent and constant in her endeavour to reach out and help, and raise the issues.
After enthralling the audience with Mahmood Farooqui’s mesmerisingly layered storytelling in Dastangoi, Elsewhere’s founders, Sukant Deepak and Nagina Bains continue with their promise of introducing the city to new forms of art, music, theatre, literature and poetry.
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