Creative people never tune out: Shubha Mudgal

It’s all about the music for this Hindustani singer who is fresh from collaborating with an Indian rock band, conducting an annual musical voyage and working towards cultural unity. Shubha Mudgal in a tête-à-tête with DNA…

Working outside the studio, how was the experience?
Recording with Swarathma for the travel cum musical documentary The Dewarists gave me an opportunity to record on spot, without the aid of a studio. It was nice to get away and spend time with a project exclusively. Collaborating with Swarathma to create a new track from scratch was new and interesting. Duur Kinara, the song, is metaphorical, with a river’s  journey as the theme. This is open to the interpretation of the listener.

Organising a music festival annually, what is your opinion on the India’s musical diversity?
Baaja Gaaja, the music fest at Pune, simply celebrates the fact that Indian music is hugely diverse. It does not look to celebrate a particular genre, style or artist but looks at Indian music in all its diversity. There are some outstanding festivals that celebrate bands, but this one simply celebrates music.

For someone who has vehemently and passionately upheld the classical medium, how challenging has the spurt of numerous other genres in India been?
I think every opportunity to record is challenging. Performing with Swarathma was an especially new experience. For someone who has been recording and performing solo, it is interesting to perform, to work with people and with different styles.

Has the fusion of the classical and modern helped more youngsters relate to Indian classical music?
You know, there is actually nothing new about fusion. Far before we began experimenting, people have tried to fuse styles, for, a creative person can never tune out. Musicians in particular are exposed to a number of other musicians’ works. These tend to influence and inspire. Books are being written on fusion. Recently, Naresh Fernandes wrote Jazz in India. Now, conventionally, jazz is non-Indian but, today, has very much become a part of our music. With hybrid genres like our film music, there is so much to look forward to. It is always stimulating to listen to different forms of music.

The Indian music scene today?
The advancement in communication and technology has given us tremendous access to different styles, genres and artists. Unlike in the earlier days, we no more have to sit around waiting for an LP record to release in India. Music students today have access to different kinds of stimuli.

You have been close to movements like ANHAD and SAHMAT. What have they signified for you?
Both ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy) and SAHMAT (Safdar Hashmi Memorial Trust) are socio-cultural movements that unite artists to work toward a common cause. SAHMAT involves a lot of creativity. Safdar, whose memory this was created in was himself a very creative man. Artists get together to protest against injustice. I think my involvement in this has been enriching simply because, we as artists tend to lead our own lives. This collective voice has brought us together to be involved with a cause. And, more often than not, a collective voice is more powerful than a single one.