March 2021: Women’s Special Edition

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Band of the month

Tetseo Sisters Quirks & Queries

Shakthisree Gopalan s Women in e t ra

! try

Music Indu e s th

Score cele b

On the cover

SHREYA GHOSHAL A CONVERSATION WITH THE

SONGSTRESS WITH A SILKY VOICE The

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INDEX Read about

Celebrating the yesteryear Nightingales of Indian Music

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5 incredible women in Korean Hip Hop

Also read

The Women of Indie Pop- Artists To Watch Out For This Year

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25

In conversation

With Dolly Rateshwar- The Dharavi Project

Find out

The evolution of Women in Metal

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19

40

Also inside

Carving her signature

Know more

Feminity and Music

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THE TEAM

INDIA’S NATIONAL PAN-GENRE MUSIC MAGAZINE

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Up,Close and Personal with playback singer

SHR E Y A GHOSHAL 8

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SNEHA RAMESH, PRAGASH VM & NAVYA C The name Shreya Ghoshal needs no introduction in the world of Indian film music. Her versatility in singing many languages with perfect diction and expression is something that is awe-inspiring. Beginning a career in music at a very young age by getting featured in Zee Tv’s Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, and with excellent mentorship from professional composers such as Ismail Darbar, Shreya has carved out a niche for herself in all these years. She is not just a versatile singer who can perform any genre – Classical or Peppy numbers with equal ease, but a power-packed stage performer as well. Her musical aura draws people globally and she has made film music extremely melodious and appealing and almost on part with legends like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Though she has began her career with sweet-sounding songs that at greatly melodious, she has also ventured into fun numbers and constantly providing amazing numbers and chartbusters consistently.

Shreya Ghoshal has established a separate fan-base for herself with her magnificent songs and memorable performances across the globe. Score brings you an interesting interaction with the brilliant playback singer:

Hello Shreya.. so glad to meet you!

Thank you so much!

In an industry where careers are made or ruined every Friday, to reign as a leading female playback voice in that volatile space for more than two decades is no mean feat. Your take on this?

artist and discover individuality and do it with full belief, then the audiences surely will find you and give you the love you deserve. Because extraordinary cannot be subdued, it will shine no matter what.

I feel very blessed that I have been able to sing with all my heart for the past two decades always making conscious choices in the kind of music I do. For me a great composition, is bigger than what film its a part of or which language it is in. Music can’t be taken for granted, you have to work hard, respect the art, stay focused on perfecting your skills and give all your love to this gift that God has chosen me for. I have always let my heart, my instincts and passion for music drive my career and nothing else. I think that’s the reason I have been fortunate to get the love of my audiences.

An artist always sees both sides of the coin.

You must have also received bouquets as well as brickbats. How have you handled criticisms so far?

When competition is so intense in every field these days, can a newcomer survive only by dint of sheer hard work and talent?

It’s a very turbulent world today in our music industry. So I can understand that the faith of any sincere and talented new artist/singer could get easily shaken. But in spite of the chaos around us, where one sees many non singers getting promoted and marketed heavily, if a true artist stays committed to learning, growing as an

I have been too fortunate that my well wishers and fans only have always showered love on me. If there are any rare negative comments they get totally washed away in the barrage of positivity. But also most importantly for me the only criticism that matters is from my gurus and people who I look up to. My mother hardly praises me, she will always find those areas in my singing or life where I can improve. And they are extremely important for me to grow.

Strangely enough, we hardly have any women composers to speak of in the industry barring a handful few. Your assessment of this void.

It’s true. There are only a handful of female composers which is very strange and quite sad.

There is such kind of unfair imbalance in most of the industries including the music industry.

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One word for personalities AR Rahman : Magician Salim-Sulaiman : Contemporary and Intelligent Ilayaraja : the ABC of music Amaal Malik Soulful Imman : King of melody Shankar Mahadevan : Unpredictable Pritam Commercial Vishal- Shekar Risk-takers I have worked with a few female composers who are so talented but they also have a hard time bagging projects. It’s not just in our country it’s a worldwide problem and needs to change.

Which international or national cultural ambassador you’ve always coveted to work with?

There so many musical icons I admire in the some from the past some in the present. Nationally I wish I had an opportunity to work with composer Madan Mohan sa’ab and sing along with Kishore da if I were born in that era. And internationally I absolutely love Celine Dion, Beyoncé’, Coldplay, John Mayer, Norah jones, Dido and so many more.

While there’s no harm in experimenting with music or reinterpreting classics, critics complain about the spate of mindless remakes and remixes of superhits being churned out every other day. What’s your response to this fad?

I find remixes and recreation very unimaginative. For the past few years music labels have been only churning these instead of originals when there so many talented composers & writers who have so many extraordinary songs ready. Remixes are an easy recipe for creating a hit. Taking an already

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popular hit from the past, tweak it around a little is the easiest way to hit big numbers because people already remember the song for its popularity. Many times actually the magic of the original is destroyed instead of enhancing or giving it an uplifting heartfelt tribute.

Tell us about your newest song with Amit Trivedi.

Lagan laagi re is a beautiful soulful song that I had sung for Amit trivedi along with Kavita Seth for a film which never had a proper release back then.

I am truly very happy that he decided to release it to all the fans through his independent label AT Azad. It’s one of the finest songs I have sung for him and hope we continue to create good music like this.

How has classical music training helped nurture you?

Greatly helped me for sure. I feel if the foundation at an early age is made strong then it becomes easier execute any kind of challenge that comes your way.

How was the experience of creating a gem like ‘Angana Morey’ amid the pandemic?

The Covid-19 time has given artists a great chance to rejuvenate themselves and slow down in life. It was always like running around with meeting deadlines. But because of the lockdown, I could spend more time with myself that I couldn’t do for the past few years. It was then I could think of a making a song that would connect to my roots- and that is Classical Music. I wanted to blend Classical Music along with contemporary music and that’s where Angana Morey came from.

Did you enjoy the process of composing your own independent music? What are some challenges you faced while creating the latest single?

Yes definitely. Film music restricts you in a form where you cannot explore

much more. Especially in the times of pandemic, the scope has reduced even more. Independent music gives the wings to fly and more freedom in being experimental.

I am glad to see many artists like Amit Trivedi coming forward to do more independent music.

Has the ‘new normal’ taught you anything new or changed your perspective towards work and life?

It helped me to be more creative. I also could observe small joys by watching the plants in my house, taking part in gardening more actively as well. I prefer to live in the moment rather than worrying about future- What I understood , you can do a lot more with resources that are actually in hand. I am sure I will be following this in post covid situation as well.

Rapid Fire Your favourite food.

I love street food such as chats- as I like spicy food more than sweets. I love pani puri!

Your favourite raga in Hindustani Classical Music.

Can you please sing a couple of lines.

Raaga Bheempalasi- I connect to this raaga a lot.

Your current most played song in your playlist and why?

My playlist is too vast. I mostly listen to classics and amazing artists all over the globe. For now, I think it is a Dido song!

You have lent your voice to many regional languages. How do you manage to do this? How difficult or interesting is it to try singing in different languages?

I give importance to the diction right when it comes to a regional language song.

I myself get irritated when somebody sings the diction wrong in languages that I know- say Bengali and Hindi. I make sure that such issue doesn’t happen in my regional rendition. When it comes to Tamil, I had to understand the difference between letters like La, Zha and LA. With Ilaiyaraaja sir in particular, I had learnt a lot about Tamil diction.

You have been part of talent hunt shows and a judge of musical reality shows, do you feel that these are the best platforms to tap and hone raw talent? Do these guarantee a ticket to the entertainment industry?

I did my Television stint in the 90s when there was no scripted reality show format. My voice was heard by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in that show- hence, it is a great platform to showcase the voice. The biggest challenge is to how to maintain the fame and popularity because of talent. I could be grounded even after a long musical journey- thanks to my parents. I started doing shows only after singing in Devdas, when I was 18. I urge the aspiring singers to keep these aspects in mind.

Is any collaboration in the works? Can we expect any independent music from you soon?

Is there any genre of singing that you want to explore and what is it?

I don’t plan anything much ahead, but I am working on certain compositions.

However, my film work is also happening at one point of time and I am balancing both.

I tend to sing every genre actually.

But I am very fascinated by the world of Jazz and R n B. I adapt from genre to genre to make it something unique to myself- the “Shreya” genre!

How do you take care of your vocal health? Is there a particular regime that you follow?

What was the best compliment you ever got from either a celebrity or a fan?

After my single Angara Morey , I received a lot of good compliments from elders- that made me really happy. So it is difficult to choose one compliment!

Sometimes, I feel my voice is not in the best shape and at that time, I understand what my body is going through. If I exerted myself too much, I take cue from my body and get some rest accordingly. Because of excessive traveling, concerts and constant high pitch singing, I give a break.

I just do a 20 minute warmup to keep my voice intact- otherwise it would lead to cracking of it. Good food, good sleep and ultimately being happy. If you don’t take stress , music will flow by itself.

Your message to young artists?

Never stop learning, music is an enormous ocean, the deeper you go the more you re alise what a magical world it is., and there so much to learn. Believe in your individuality but also take criticism positively from your teachers and seniors.

Most importantly, simply enjoy.

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BoAN OF

E E U Q E TH

p o p k

K-pop has established itself as more than a passing trend. At this point, it is a cultural and artistic behemoth that has managed to keep delighting the world for quite a few years now. However, before we fell in love with BTS, EXO, GOT7, Blackpink, and all our biases, there were the first generation K-pop stars who started building the genre from the ground up and are inspirations for some of today’s biggest K-pop acts.

One such K-pop icon is Kwon Bo-ah, professionally known as BoA, who is one of the first K-pop stars to venture into the global market. She is credited as the QUEEN OF KPOP, no less. In fact, 2020 marked her 20 years in the music industry. BoA has albums and singles in Korean, Japanese, English, and Mandarin.

Her music is vibrant, catchy, and utterly memorable. A look through some of her interesting tracks will reveal the depth of her creativity, her style, and her musical legacy. (disclaimer: this list is not in any particular order) Picture credit- Official Twitter account of Mnet Asian Music Awards

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ARCHANA LAKRA

EVERLASTING

ATLANTIS PRINCESS

STARRY NIGHT ft Crush

Available in both Korean and Japanese versions, this ballad talks about everlasting love for someone to whom you have to say goodbye. Laced with amazing vocals by BoA and sincere lyrics which makes it utterly relatable for listeners. This song was the ending theme for the Asahi drama “ Gate of Miracles” and the OST for the Japanese dubbing of the movie “Oliver Twist”.

A very uplifting song that keeps you hooked with a great melody. This will remind you of all the times you wondered if you have descended from someplace other than Earth.

Daydreamers will definitely relate to this one. With background vocals complimenting her amazing voice, this song is one of her best deliveries and can quickly turn you into one of her fans.

A fairly new track in BoA’s discography, this one is like a hug on a cold winter night. Crush’s deep husky voice perfectly complements her honeyed vocals. This song successfully depicts the warm and fuzzy feeling of being in the company of your loved ones at the end of the day and living your days in anticipation of those starry nights.

“Silent tears are falling in my heart But I’ll move on with no regrets, I’m sorry for your tenderness Until we meet again Everlasting..”

“I wonder what is at the end of the faraway sea It’s probably far away from being something from this world Will I be able to see it if I go on top of the clouds?

The children playing the trumpet with the angels If you listen closely somewhere in a forest There is a small voice that only I can hear Shall I fly away like a dream?

The place high away, a world without anyone”

Once you listen to it, this 2006 release is set to engrave itself in your heart for a long time.

EVERY HEART This track from her debut Japanese album Listen to my Heart is a very familiar one to anime fans as it was the ending theme for trailblazing anime Inuyasha. Also available in Korean and English versions, this song showcases great vocals and equally good lyrics: “Someday, someday, our souls be at peace, someday In times come and gone We’re alive to learn something Today will still continue on When we laugh and we cry.”

BoA has a lot of music under her belt.

It is hard to choose from the plethora of music she has generated. The six songs detailed above reveal BoA’s range through their different musical styles, themes, and performances. You can find so many kinds of songs in her discography, starting from tracks that make you dance all night to ones that hit you right in your feels.

BoA’s popularity in k-pop, even after all these years, establishes that she is here to stay. Go on… STAN the queen and bend your knees (pun definitely intended).

Isn’t it great to find a song that can give you a break from reality and bring you back to the days when we used to find shapes in the clouds and made stories out of them?

VALENTI This is a song that will take you back to good old 2000’s pop music as well as your teenage dreams. This song talks about love and the desire to hold on to that love with all you have got.

“Our two bodies live together Having chosen each other’s racing heartbeat I’ll give you the strength to believe In your faintest of hunches, that’s my dream To fulfill even your smallest wishes that’s my dream”

“ Starry night, at the end of this beautiful night (baby) Under the starlight shining upon us yeah In this cold winter I come into your Warm arms that melt me in” This beautiful chorus gives us a peek into this lovely song and what it represents.

P.S: If you haven’t listened to Crush, give him a few moments of your time...

I can bet you’ll never regret it.

No. 1 Like many of BoA’s songs, this one too has Korean, Japanese, and English versions. With a very catchy chorus repeating -” You’re still my NO. 1”, this track talks about wanting to get back together with the loved one. It’s a complete earworm, easy to listen to on repeat, and dance your days away. “but tonight don’t look for me hide my sadness hide behind those clouds and block the light (block) so that this road won’t know my tears for him when the full moon goes away, the sad light will be smaller on behalf of me, will you show him his way? my unfinished love you still my No.1”

Although released in 2002, this song still sounds fresh. If you watch live performances of BoA performing the song, everything becomes complete.

A perfect track to remember that first love and youthful promises made.

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Band of the month

Tetseo Sisters

How did you all come together as a band and when?

We are four sisters – siblings – Mercy, Azi, Kuvelu and Alune (Lulu) and our music is produced and managed by our only brother, Mhaseve. We just naturally started performing together as children with the encouragement of our parents and eventually became a band from the recognition received over the years. Our first official appearance with all 4 sisters was in 1994 when the youngest of us, Lulu was a toddler and our performances kept continuing through school, college, jobs and finally, we went out in full drive as musicians from 2005 onwards making our presence felt on social media and performing on international stages.

How would you describe your genre to people who have never heard you?

We are primarily known as folk musicians or a folk-fusion act but we think of ourselves as storytellers and artists not restricted to a particular genre. That’s why experimental folk or fusion is a better word to describe us.

Our music is rooted in Chokri Naga traditional folk surely but we have experimented with electro/disco/pop and even Indian Classical and Jazz elements in our music. Our music is two-pronged. To introduce people to traditional Naga Folk and then take them on a journey into contemporary fusion based on Chokri folk. We write songs in both Chokri and English and have dabbled with some Hindi – very

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basic for now but would love to explore more regional languages.

As a band, what have been some of your best live experiences? Could you highlight a few?

Many a time, we have had to perform in different combinations of 2s, 3s and even solo so whenever all four of us get together, it is a different kind of energy. We have had many memorable live events but our recent one at the News18 Mission Paani Waterthon where we launched a brand new trilingual song for Water Conservation LIVE on National TV on 26th January was a different high. Making music and performing Live for causes we believe in gives our music different energy.

Representing the country at the Royal Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Scotland in 2014 shines bright. Also our first appearance at the Bacardi NH7 2014 stages in Delhi, Pune and Kolkata brings happy memories because in a way, we introduced the NH7 festival to our NE people who were not aware of such a delightful festival. Our Exclusive and first of its kind The Tetseo Sisters Box Office Show at Nagaland’s Premiere Cultural Event, Hornbill Festival 2019 was a standout with 2 shows daily for the length of the 10 day festival. We also performed a special concert set for Dr. AR Rahman himself which was a priceless moment.

Name 3 bands you look up to and why?

Among Indian bands, Viva, Raghu

SNEHA RAMESH

Dixit and Swarathma. Globally, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Lady Gaga. Viva because they captured the essence of girl power ahead of the times and Raghu and Swarathma for being contemporaries in making folk in music cool and always standing out.

Strong women who have made their successes on their own terms in their chosen field continue to inspire us.

In a post pandemic world and when you are all in different places, how do you create new music?

We have been making music from different places all this while and the pandemic in a way brought us all home together and in a way, made us rethink our positions, dreams and aspirations. It has brought us all a sense of urgency as well as the need to focus on the immediate dreams. We are all pretty unambitious and laid back, but we now feel that there is much to be done and that our influence has grown and touched more people than we realised. We will continue our efforts in discovering and making new music and also giving a voice to issues or topics we find pertinent to highlight in our music. Our music celebrates life and we want to keep doing that.

Remind everyone that life is still beautiful and worth living more so now than ever – to keep fighting for good, positive change and fairness.

As an all women band in the music scene, mention one of the best and one notso-good moments you have encountered in your journey?

We have always felt privileged to be women in music with a good following of both young and old women – it feels wonderful when we are told that we have inspired other women to be stronger, bolder and expressive.

Especially young girls who want to become artistes themselves or were afraid to express themselves.

It saddens us when we are judged, trolled and body-shamed – sometimes by other women – for very superficial things like what we wear, our hair/ makeup, weight and how we sound or look like.

But when we are on stage and facing our audience, the music takes over and gives us a high like no other and all the noise fades away.

Highlight your upcoming projects:New Releases upcoming – Sandeep Chowta’s Production Namma Music presents Desify

by Chalk and Cheeze ft. Tetseo Sisters Digital Release of the Tetseo Sisters Debut Album Chapter One Digital Release of The Acoustic EP – Tetseo Sisters We have many more singles coming up and a bunch of interesting collaborations are in the mix.

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SHAURYA SINGH THAPA

MADE IN INDIA,

The Album That Made Alisha Chinai

The ‘Queen Of Indipop’ Score Indie Classics

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The opening frames of the video for Made In India features an animated book that narrates the story of a princess known as Alisha. Little did she know that this track (and its accompanying album of the same name) would grant her the status of the Queen of the then-nascent Indipop scene.

While non-film music had already been an underground phenomenon with occasional airplay, Chinais album fared so well in terms of sales, that its success could be comparable to Hindi film music. One can simply argue that Made In India shaped not just Chinai’s career but also the entire Indian independent pop scene.

overly dramatic in its notions of unrequited love. Chinai’s songs, on the other hand, represented a more casual form of love that didn’t require over-the-top sacrifices. It was a simpler sense of romance that probably resonated with young audiences of the time. In Made In India, she marvels at how she craves a heart that is ‘made in India’ while in Lover Girl, she simply tells her partner that she would offer her heart if he offers her his own. The former’s popularity also rose, thanks to a majestic music video that featured model/actor Milind Soman who had caught the fancy of the public.

Modern-day audiences might think of Made In India as her debut. Even though the song continues to be the most well-known entry in her discography, the pop star had been in the industry for quite some time. In fact, Made In India happens to be her eighth studio album! She had marked her musical debut with the Platinum hit Jadoo, following it with future albums and occasional Bollywood playback credits.

She was already gathering gradual fame with some critics equating her to foreign pop stars like Madonna. Hence, two of her albums were christened Madonna (1989) and AlishaMadonna of India (1992).

A significant share of the album’s success also goes to Biddu who served as a producer and lyricist to most of the tracks. The UK-based, Indian-origin music producer was already a seasoned veteran by the 90s. Biddu had dominated international markets, producing the Carl Douglas hit Kung Fu Fighting while also putting Pakistani-Indian pop on the map of the world, thanks to his collaborations with Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan. His collaborations with Nazia Hassan had yielded memorable classics like Disco Deewane, and Boom Boom.

It was in 1995 that Made In India broke all records and managed to make Alisha China a household name, a feat that was hardly achievable for indie artists in those times. The album managed to received multi-platinum certification and sold over 5,00,000 copies. The unique selling point was, of course, the titular track. Probably, the second-most popular track from the album would be Lover Girl.

The tracks might differ in sound but all of them seemed to carry an upbeat theme, filled with lyrics that would probably be categorised today as ‘bubblegum pop’. But underneath the peppy concept of her easygoing songs was a woman musing about her varied romantic and sensual interests. Around that time, film music had a tendency to be

Interestingly, Biddu had written Made In India for Hassan who had retired from music by the 1990s. The producer hoped that his collaborator would mark her comeback with this song but she was fearful of the reactions such a song would generate among her Pakistani fanbase. And so, Biddu eventually partnered with Alisha Chinai producing an eleven-track album for her with Made In India serving as a lead single. The rest, as they say, is history.

Chinai didn’t release a single album after Made In India but went on to have a stellar stint with Bollywood, winning over new fans with the song Kajra Re while Biddu contributed greatly to launching the careers of Shaan, and Sonu Nigam.

However, Made In India continues to be an all-time high point in their trailblazing careers.

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NAVYA C

Women of Carnatic

Classical Music

Indian Classical Music has been evolving from times immemorial and underwent many changes and metamorphosis in terms of performance, experimentation and external influences as well. However, the biggest transformation has happened in the form of women coming forward to perform on stage.

In the olden days, Carnatic classical music was mostly confined to male performers who used to compose and sing them on stage. Women coming in front of the stage, facing the audience and performing was almost nonexistent.

Hence, most of the women used to learn music and restrict their stage to their households- with nurturing the family, children and looking after the house. Just like in the case of Classical Dance, even Carnatic Music was opening the doors for women artists from 1900s alone. In comparison to men, the interpretation of a composition and the meaning of bhakti is perceived by women in an entirely unique manner. Because women are more in connect to their emotional selves, and understand the ebbs and tides of feelings throughout their livestheir renditions have more soul to and the entire perspective of a composition gets a new meaning.

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Now, listening to MS.Subbulakshmi’s Bhaja Govindam has become a normal thing in every south Indian household and every temple plays her rendition of Venkateshwara Suprabhatam even till date. Whether it is DK Pattamal’s bass voice, or the emotive violin of ML Vasanta Kumari- the amazing range which women Carnatic performers present is awe-inspiring.

The world of Carnatic Music has got a wonderful new-found dignity and respect with the presence of more women performers now. How can we forget the masterful rendition of Ranga Puravihaara by the supremely talented duo Ranjani-Gayatri, or the loveliest voice of Bombay Jayashri singing an aalapana in Kambhoji raagam? These wonderful women have redefined the Carnatic music space by giving it a feminine touch – which is brimming with emotion and enchanting feelings.

Certain compositions need the artist to exhibit sensitive emotions that tug the heartstrings of the listener.

One such classic example of such composition is “Nannu Brovamani Cheppave” by Bhadrachala Ramadasu.

A woman performer’s interpretation of this composition will be tad different compared to a male performer. The suaveness, the emotional graph and

the magnetic beauty of the lyrics and the melody has got a fantastic treatment thanks to such women artists! A woman artist brings the visual perspective of a composition such as “Pakkala Nilabadi” in Raaga Kharaharapriya which is more impacted by the visual feels.

At the current age, women are not only venturing into feminine areas of Carnatic music such as singing, veena and violin- but also into heavily masculine dominated areas such as percussions- mridangam, and morsing.

This indeed is a fantastic change and looks for brighter days ahead for more such women artists With March being the month when International Women’s Day is celebrated all across the globe, let us honor, and embrace the women Carnatic artists who made our lives more colorful and creative to the hilt! Moreover, we need to celebrate these women not just for a day but throughout the year for the magic they brought to our lives!

SOUVIK CHAKRABORT Y

Celebrating the yesteryear Nightingales of Indian Music

Gangubai Hangal was a rising sensation in the 1930s. She was a Hindustani classical singer of the Kirana Gharana.

She shot to fame with her frequent concerts across the country and her recordings that charted repeatedly on the All India Radio! During this period, she had lent her melodic voice to bhajans, Marathi traditional songs, thumris, and khayals. She would, later on, shift her focus completely towards the classical style of Khayal. Though, she started early at the age of 13. Her immediate social circles were reportedly prejudiced towards a career in music at the time.

Nevertheless, her passion for music rose above all. She used music against the onslaughts of hypocrisy, injustice, and orthodox mindsets in a regressive part of society.

Her career spanned a little over seven decades. She had the rare feat of receiving multiple awards and recognitions from important figures like the President and the Prime Minister of India. She had bagged the prestigious Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibushan and had made important contribution through academic associations.

Hirabai Barodekar is notable not only for her beautiful musical renditions but also her contribution towards the empowerment of women. She had been credited for becoming the first woman artist to organize a paid concert in India. She played a key role in paving the way for multiple female artists playing in the 19th century. Her incredible finesse in the classical singing style of Gharana had earned her many accolades like the Padma Bhushan award.

Hirabai was surrounded by notable musicians from her childhood and got her training from the great Ustad Abdul Waheed Khan. Her voice got recognized at a very tender age and her practice with music had made her one of the well-received female singers in the pre-independence era.

She went onto become a successful commercial artist who upheld the classical styles and ethos all the way through her career. Her richness had percolated into many disciples like Prabha Atre.

Kishori Amonkar was regarded as the “doyen” of Hindustani classical singing. She hailed from the Jaipuri Gharana and her distinctive vocal prowess soon found different mediums like film music, bhajans, and many more. Her music was a perfect balance of lively energy and graceful presentations. Though she got her training under Alladiya Khan Saheb of the Jaipur Gharana she did her ingenious experiments and evolved styles inspired by other schools of singing.

Her learning continued through ancient texts and books as she embarked on the studies of the intricacies of music.

Amonkar was a true devotee of music, and she did things in her life which is unlike many other musicians of her time.

She would often limit herself to the number of concerts in a week or her foreign trips; to exclusively focus only on her musical studies and researches. She had also been honored with the most celebrated Indian civilian honors, the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. She also served as the fellow of the Sangeet Natak Akademi since 2010.

D.K.Pattammal is a legendary icon in the Carnatic music tradition. She was gifted with great consistency and her performance had the aura which was purely hypnotic. Despite the societal stigmas and the taboos of a Brahmin performing Carnatic music, she continued with her pursuits of exploring the wonderful world of music.

Pattammal was also famous for her outright stand against foreign subjugation during the pre-independence era. In many instances, she had actually introduced the culture of singing patriotic songs on live show performances. She soon became a respected name in the musical circle and had been applauded for ingenuity in the music and associated cultures, by various appreciators of art.

It is believed that her efforts have held the head of Vidhushis high with are able to sing with the dignity it’s only because of the untiring efforts of Pattamma Amma by breaking the hurdles in a genuine and forthright manner.

Her renditions of kirtan had been a sweet combination of perfect technicalities and polished performances.

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Women in Indian HipHop: Beyond the Binary of ‘Under-Appreciated’ and ‘Over-Hyped’ Hip-hop as a genre has gone through several stages of evolution in Indian and the subcontinent. Over the past few months, the scene is accommodating more narratives rather than just the hypermasculine, ‘hard’ narrative. Rather than just boasting of their skills, riches, and an inherently male image of roughness, rappers are also trying to unleash a vulnerable side while producers are moving towards calmer sounds.

However, the dominant perspective is, of course, male (be it a ‘tough guy’ or a ‘soft boy’). Hip-hop in general has not fared any brownie points when it comes to accommodating newer perspectives. So, the question still remains, is Indian hip-hop accommodating enough?

‘It’s essentially everything through the male gaze and, hence, the songs are made “supposedly” masculine, it’s aggressive, against feminine attributes, often revengeful to a woman. It often even preys on stereotypes.’ says Chhavi Bahmba, a commentator on Indian hip-hop.

‘People tend to put you in a different category for being a woman when it comes to hip-hop. There are plenty of male rappers with average skills who get more platforms than very excellent female rappers…People tend to think that female rappers can’t be lyrical.

Most people just wanna objectify female rappers. ‘ Shillong-based rapper Reble offers similar observations.

To counter this ‘male gaze’, the logical solution would entail more and more women emerging as beatboxers, MCs, b-girls, graffiti artists, producers, and so on. But is the existing culture

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ready to accept and encourage the ones starting out?

Mumbai-based rapper KRANTINAARI debuted last year with a fiery track of the same name. Her Hindi lyrics mostly deal with socially-relevant themes, and she aims to reach out to people to make them socially aware rather than making ‘an already conscious person more conscious’.

Along with her latest single Discovery To Destruction, she joined forces with fellow rapper Pratika to create WON Tribe, India’s only female rap duo.

Despite an eventful year with more future plans, KRANTINAARI reveals that she has to face a lot of rejection from some of her male peers in the scene. ‘Men need to be ready to accept an artist who has just been born.

Obviously, my second song might not be as good as your fifteenth song. The comparison is with themselves and it doesn’t make sense...And why is there a comparison in art at all? That’s the first question I ask these boys.’

WON Tribe’s other half Pratika comments on the need for encouragement in the scene by pointing out how years of patriarchy never gave women a proper space to speak up in the first place. ‘The popularity of hip hop has helped more ladies voice their opinions and make music. So if anything, I think everyone should be supportive and encouraging,’ She adds.

Shifting to Delhi, beatboxer and vocalist Pho has had a better experience while starting out as most of the male figures in the circuit have been supportive to her. However, she has also observed how female

Am-B, B-girl and founder of the Roc Fresh Crew

beatboxers might tend to get more hate than their male counterparts. ‘For some people, if a guy loses a battle, the reactions are always about him not being in luck on that day. If a female loses a battle or let’s say doesn’t battle at all, the reactions would be, “oh females don’t practice at all”, “they can’t beatbox better than men”, etc. Oh, and my favourite one, “you have it easy here because you’re a female “’.

Now, let’s say the scene doesn’t patronise women in hip-hop and gives them enough space to grow as artists. Even then, there’s a possibility of the ‘female rapper’ getting exoticised. As Reble makes it clearer, ‘People do tend to put you in a different category for being a woman when it comes to hip-hop,’ In the same vein, Pratika offers the example of Instagram rap pages, ‘We’re categorized. There are social media pages that round up ‘Female rapper’ posts every once in a while, but no one mentions the rest of the posts as ‘male rappers’, which is 95% of the content.’

Building upon this, Pho gets candid on how she finds such behaviour equally sad and funny as male audiences don’t expect women to be good enough in the first place. Based on her observations in the beatboxing scene, she feels that female artists are either ‘underappreciated’ or ‘overhyped’ just because of ‘the female factor’. In other words, the audience might just praise a female hip-hop artist because of this ‘factor’ and the accompanying

SHAURYA SINGH THAPA Rapper Reble (photograph by Sahil Rajkhowa)

MC Manmeet Kaur

Vocalist and beatboxer Pho (photographed by Huntrex)

uniqueness rather than actually understanding their art.

This generalisation holds true even in the case of listeners of hip-hop. For instance, when Bahmba wrote under a pseudonym for her music page Words From A Matchbox, her followers automatically assumed her to be ‘bhai, guy in the hood, my ma’”.

Going beyond the online space, hip-hop concerts with their frantic moshpits are again (unsurprisingly) territories of the males. So, how can one make hip-hop a safer space for women? When asked how to counter such a situation hypothetically, KRANTINAARI gets candid. ‘I think women should dance in the middle of the concert and just own that space.’

And so, gradually and steadily, women are claiming the hip-hop space as artists and listeners. Pratika and KRANTINAARI are participants in Wild Wild Women, the upcoming first all-female hip-hop cypher that

would debut this Women’s Day. The former is also currently working on an upcoming solo EP. Pho keeps on churning out one single after the other, both as a solo and featured artist.

Reble also has her fair share of new releases while keeping financial stability as her chief goal. Having seen women struggle in the dingy confines of rap gigs, Chhavi Bahmba just hopes that this ‘space’ gets more accessible to women. As for male rappers, she observes that there’s a ‘dire need in the change of writing’.

Siri in Bangalore. Dee MC in Mumbai.

Cecilia Mangte representing the Khatarnaak Hip-Hop Collective in Delhi. Female MCs (or fem-cees are some publications dub them) are indeed taking the charge to introduce more perspectives in a genre riddled with oversaturated tropes.

an MC with a cult following, with three albums to her name, the latest of which (The Groundwaters are Connected) is also a self-produced effort. As for Am-B, she has received acclaim as a dancer and host, widely noted as India’s first-ever B-girl. Also credit for creating the Roc Fresh Crew and also representing international crews, Am-B has been an active proponent of spreading her knowledge as can be seen from her various workshops for local collectives.

As this new wave of female-driven hip-hop rises, it’s required for the male ‘OGs’ and their ‘fanboys’ to let these artists rise in their own ways with their own perspectives. After all, none appointed a man as the custodian of the so-called ‘scene’. So maybe, a man can stop acting like one...

In Mumbai, a one-of-its-kind certificate course in ‘hip-hop studies’ is being offered at Vile Parle’s Usha Pravin Gandhi College with the first batch commencing this March. Featuring seasoned veterans in all aspects of hip-hop, Manmeet Kaur and Am-B are also a part of the faculty. The former is The

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INCREDIBLE WOMEN IN KOREAN HIPHOP Korean Hip-Hop is certainly coming into it’s own, with almost every K-pop band including a distinct rap line. Underground rappers like BTS’ RM and Yoongi have made it big (talk about an understatement!), bring the genre’s nuance, uniqueness and inimitable appeal to the forefront.

Naturally, for Score’s Women’s Day issue, the spotlight had to be on women trailblazing their way onto pedestals within Korean Hip-Hop. There’s certainly not as many as one would like, but these five women have taken space within a dominantly male space, by virtue of their personal grit and exceptional artistry.

Yoon Mi-Rae Yoon Mi-Rae AKA Tasha AKA T is the Queen of Korean Hip-Hop. She is the first name that comes to mind for anytime someone mentions ‘women in Korean hip-hop’.

Mi-Rae was born to a Korean mother and an African-American father who served in the U.S. military in Uijeongbu. Her stunning voice was discovered early, as she was approached by a scout when singing outside an audition room (she went with a friend to their audition). Her first step into professional musicality was as part of the hip-hop group Uptown at age 16.

Uptown disbanded in 2000, and Mi-rae went on to form a hip hop and R&B duo Tashannie, released one album and finally debuted as a solo artist in 2001 under the stage name T. In 2006, she joined her then-boyfriend Tiger JK’s label Jungle Entertainment. In 2013,she joined the hip-hop trio MFBTY (My Fans Are Better Than Yours), and changed Korean hip-hop for women forever.

Today, Mi-rae is one of the most celebrated female rappers in the country, and is also one of the most sought-after vocalists for Korean drama soundtracks. Her music is characterized not just by a stunning vocal timbre, but by deeply honest, candid and uninhibited songwriting. Her solo album T3 – Yoon Mi Rae reveals the discrimination she faces on account of her mixed-race heritage in Korea. For instance, her song Black Happiness is about combating this prejudice with the positivity of her music, and Angel is about the bond she shares with her family and long-time collaborator Bizzy.

In Korea, Yoon Mi-rae is the standard of excellence for every female rapper in the industry. With songs like Black Happiness and KawiBawiBo, it’s not hard to see why.

Sandy

One of the youngest women on this list, Sandy AKA Ha Sun Ho became a quick favourite of viewers of the Korean competitive hip-hop show High School Rapper. Her voice carried a gravitas rarely seen in people her age, and her flow was unquestionably a thing of wonder.

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She debuted in 2019, and is known for her down-to-earth persona. Despite that, she comes off as a bit of a superhuman - maintaining a rap career while studying and getting rather excellent grades in entrance exams and majoring in Japanese.

Her music is smooth, full of promise, and well on her way to marking out her territory in the scene.

CL

SHREYA BOSE

As the leader of one of K-pop’s pioneering girl groups 2NE1, CL (Lee Chae-rin) is one of the most recognizable female names in Korean rap. As part of 2NE1’s “fierce girl who gives no f***” persona”, CL’s swagger and rhyme placed her on a pillar of success and adoration. No one in mainstream K-pop could match The Baddest Female.

Despite being part of a massively popular and commercially successful pop act, CL also accrued significant artistic credibility by virtue of her artistry. This is made amply clear by her inclusion in Rosario from Epik High’s latest album Epik High is Here. When the absolute icons of Korean hip-hop (who, by now, command both mainstream and underground respect) draw you into their musicality, no one is questioning how good you are.

Even after 2NE1’s disbanding, CL has released successful music in her own right. She has collaborated with Diplo, Psy, Kim Ximya, to name a few of the big titles. Though her releases are not as frequent as fans would like, she continues to define a unique brand of sonic creativity that opened doors and minds in Korean with regard to women owning their power in hip-hop.

Jessi Even though Korean-American rapper Jessi passed an audition for S.M. Entertainment, one of South Korea’s largest entertainment agencies, she chose not to sign with them. Her reason was that their approach to music did not align with her own.

This particular brand of my-way-or-thehighway has become Jessi’s signature.

Her swagger and candour have, by now, become legendary in Korean pop and hip-hop circles. Case in point: her open discussion of cosmetic surgery, an extremely taboo topic, on a Korean variety show Happy Together.

Even as a participant on Unpretty Rap Star, Korea’s popular competitive hiphop show, Jessi took her criticism of other contestants to group settings and said what she had to say directly to people’s faces.

Jessi’s music reflects this in-your-face narrative. In Spirit Animal, she asks “They gave me second place, how am I still winning?” In Run It (Jay Park ft.

Woo & Jessi), she raps “Winning is my vitamin yeah/Run this game I just get it/Once I got it I don’t lose it”.

Having moved from New Jersey to Korea at age 15, Jessi’s career took a while to escalate. Her refusal to surrender her musical integrity meant that Jessi had to carve her own path in a creative field that is still difficult for women to penetrate. Her inimitable style (a tad reminiscent of Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, in fact) also took some time to gain acceptance and capture it’s fandom.

While she had been tasting success ever since Unpretty Rapstar, the pinnacle of her excellence came when she was signed to P-Nation, the record label established by Gangnam style god Psy. Under this label, songs like Who Dat B and Nunu Nana have seen meteoric rises on numerous Korean charts. She is also a regular on musical programmes and variety shows, having become one

Jvcki Wai Hong Ye-eun, going by her stage name Jvcki Wai has just released one full length album and two EPs till date. Yet, she is already hailed for her particular sonic brand: Emo Trap meshed and spliced into Hip-Hop (Think Lil Uzi Vert). Within just a couple of years, Jvcki Wai has commanded respect and serious street cred in the scene. She has been featured on tracks by scene heavy-hitters like Simon Dominic, ZICO and GIIRIBOY. Her full-length album “Enchanted Propaganda” was also nominated for Hip Hop Track of the Year at the 2019 Korean Hip-Hop Awards.

Jvcki Wai’s music reflects the layered, conflicted mind of someone between ingenue and fire: she studied jazz, won the female rapper competition #GALmighty at age 18, wanted to make rock music before becoming beholden to hip-hop and says that doubt and emptiness are fixtures in her mind.

Have a look at the lyrics from her track Anti- to get a sense of unconventionality.

From here to maturity/Praying for eternal peace/But there’s no eternity/ After all we will let it be Certainly not the kind of thing most rappers are enunciating, is it?

of the most well-known faces of Korean hip-hop at this point.

Jessi disses hard, owns her power, and refuses to be anyone but herself. She is best described by her own words in Who Dat B: “I have no desire to adjust myself/To people I’m uncomfortable with, I’ll just be a bitch“ The

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AKARSH SHEKHAR

Delivering the Goods: Meet These Great Music Producers and Audio Engineers Only two percent of women in the music industry handle production and audio engineering duties. With such skewed numbers, it’s safe to say that the industry has a heavy proliferation of male producers and artists. However, there are still quite a few talented women who are making their mark in the industry. Let’s meet two of them right now. *rolling* the vision to see where a track can end up. What you start with and where you end are usually worlds apart. Then you have to take it there.

Take 4: Inspirations

Take 1: Working on new tracks

As she begins her work on a new track, the first thing that Aria Nanji looks at, is the songwriting. She finds herself drawn to original, genuine and honest songwriting, lyrically and musically.

Then she shifts her attention to the vocals, which tend to be the most important element of a song for her.

Well-written vocal lines grab her attention through their performance, timbre or distinctiveness. Tarana Marwah approaches new tracks in a more abstract manner, seeking their souls and heart. She is a firm believer in the intangible but omnipresent power of a song’s soul.

Take 2: Going through changes

One of the most critical tasks for producers/audio engineers to handle is discussing changes and rearrangements with the artist. Aria Nanji believes in communicating very clearly with the artist while

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keeping an open mind. She admits that she is learning to be better at what she does, and oftentimes it is the artists and their unique perspectives that widen her understanding of music and sound. A touch of kindness and patience goes a long way in creating a great song. It’s most important to be kind and patient when communicating with artists -- especially in regards to their work product. Tarana Marwah approaches this delicate task by creating and maintaining a special bond, she usually ends up becoming friends with the artist by the time the song is finished. She believes in letting everyone be heard and feel comfortable during the process.

Take 3: Essential traits

According to Aria Nanji, for any music producer/audio engineer who works with a variety of clients and artists from different backgrounds creating different genres of music, versatility is key. One needs to be able to adapt to any situation or requirement. For Tarana Marwah, it’s about possessing

Tarana Marwah didn’t mean to end up as a music producer, it just happened naturally after she bought her first laptop in college and started fooling around with DAW’s. She figured out that she had a knack for it and kept it going. She continues to draw inspiration from artists like Grimes, Imogen Heap, and Bjork. Aria Nanji went to Berklee College of Music to study vocal performance. During her first semester, she realised that she was chasing the dream of her teenage years and decided to pursue something more sustainable as a career. She began exploring other options and was introduced to Music Production and Engineering by a friend. She figured out that this is something she could do back in India as well and switched her major.

Final Take: The challenges

Aria Nanji admits that music producers and audio engineers face a lot of challenges in the industry, but her studio fosters an environment of inclusiveness and equality. She has never felt like she needed to work harder than her male counterparts to gain value or respect. Tarana Marwah believes that India is very supportive of female artists but recognizes the challenge of existing in a nexus where there are so few women. Getting rid of the “just for decoration” image is also critical.

The Women of Indie Pop

SHAURYA SINGH THAPA

Artists To Watch Out For This Year As we enter the second third decade of the 21st century, the Indian independent pop scene is bursting with female singers and songwriters who can explore more vocal and lyrical styles. Big names like Kamakshi Khanna and Aditi Ramesh are cementing their legacy while several new talents are also stepping in with their skills.

One such name can be Sanjana Devarajan who released an EP titled Mood, a set of four songs with diverse influences, incorporating both pop and electro-driven sounds. Ever since Mood’s release in 2020, she has started this year with her first Hindi-language release Bhool.

Meanwhile, she has also been posting short covers where she offers her reinterpretation and experimentation of particular songs through Instagram reels and IGTV videos.

Talking about reels and IGTV, having a considerable social media presence (with an interactive and consistentlythemed series of covers/originals) can always be of help in increasing an artist’s reach. A case in point is Delhi-based singer-songwriter Maaya Mattoo who has been uploading several acoustic renditions of diverse tracks ranging from classic Beatles songs to even satirical originals like her musical take on Period. An aesthetically-pleasing visual style complements her own skills ultimately leading to a more personal and candid connection with her listeners. As for her singles, Blue Over You and Memories, For Now can be a good start for one to understand her prowess.

When it comes to singles, Utsavi Jha is also on her way to create a new fanbase with just a few singles forming her discography. Her latest release was the blues-rock-influenced Picnic that allowed her to delve into a tryst with human fears. Before Picnic’s serious subject matter, she also lent her voice to the chilled-out electronic track by Max Kate called Weekend. And then, of course, the song that preceded all these new releases was Amsterdam/Thousand Miles. Jha has had globetrotting adventures all over the globe, be it her trips with her family or her solo backpacking phase (that dried up her savings, she adds). Amsterdam/Thousand Miles allows Jha to revisit those days with the universal message on how traveling ends up offering one a lot of practical life lessons.

Then, some indie-pop stars went the extra mile releasing not just singles but full-fledged records. For instance, Anoushka Maskey released 2 EPs in 2020 itself. These two EPs were christened Things I Saw In A Dream and C.E.A.S.E. Dropped in the gap of a month, Maskey’s efforts generally garnered a positive response from critics and audiences alike. The former (that also marked her debut) bore traces of neo-folk offering several short, heartwarming tracks that often clock under two minutes. The titular track Things I Saw In A Dream and September Embers are arguably some of her most

soothing tracks so far.

Some like Frizzell D’Souza had built quite a cult following with their covers. With most of her work available on YouTube, some of D’Souza’s acoustic covers like that of Kasoor (by Prateek Kuhad) or All I Want (by Kodaline) delivered a noteworthy response in terms of statistics while keeping her audiences hooked. And then, she dropped her debut single simply titled New. A moving track on the trials and tribulations of a tumultuous relationship, the Bengalurubased artist wrote, sang, and produced the track during the phase of the lockdown.

Contrasting with her themes, Nida Siddiqui’s single Butterflies gave a more positive perspective, documenting the experience one might feel when one truly falls in love for the first time (using ‘butterflies in the stomach’ as an analogy). Siddiqui again belongs to the pantheon of new-age artists who are sowing the seeds of their future fanbase with highly promising singles. An older single of her that can give listeners a further taste of her music can be 2019’s And I’ll Love.

To put it in a nutshell, these artists are experimenting with their styles and genres in their own unique ways that might eventually shape the course of the so-called ‘indie scene’ in the not-too-distant future...

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Quirks & Queries

SHAKTHISREE GOPALAN Tell us about the making of Nee Podhumey and how has the track been received by your audiences.

Nee Podhumey was written during the lockdown when our whole world shrunk down to the 4 walls we call home and the people who we hold close to our heart.

Sometimes we realise that this is all we need - and that was the inspiration that lead to “Nee Podhumey”

We have received some really amazing responses and it feels incredible to hear from people from different parts of the world, who have heard and connected to the song. This project is very close to my heart - I’ve written, composed and produced this song - I had the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented dear friends in bringing this song to life, so all the responses and love that the song has been receiving really means a lot.

In a highly competitive industry, what do you do to stay relevant and ahead of the curve?

The industry might be competitive, but as an artist and an individual i feel like we. are all on our own path of self discovery and evolution.

It is this process of growth and pushing my own boundaries that excites me.

I find it meaningful to allow myself to explore, experiment and not hold back, while working at getting better at my craft and myself everyday.

I don’t really think of whether it will get me ahead of the curve or whether it keeps me relevant - but i certainly find it fulfilling.

If there are 3 artists you would love to collaborate with, who would they be and why?

Pharrrell Williams, Finneas and Daft Punk - all incredible producers and storytellers. I absolutely love their work.

What do you do to maintain your vocal health?

What i’ve come to realise through my experience is that it is more important to eat at regular intervals than avoiding ice cream or spicy food, etc.

Skipping meals can lead to acid reflux which can be damaging to the throat and the voice. Another thing that is really important, is good sound sleep and rest.

I guess our moms know best when they tell us - if you sleep well and eat properly, it will take care of everything. I have been doing yoga, eating clean and healthy as much as possible and I find it makes a huge difference. When your body is in good health, your voice and your mind will be in better health as well.

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How do you leverage the digital platforms to connect with your audiences?

I started using social media mainly as a way to share memories and special moments with friends. I feel like I now have more friends with whom I can share special memories and experiences with - be it cool new music that I’ve recently come across or some special updates in my life or with music. Digital platforms are a great tool and especially this past year it has been instrumental in keeping us all connected. In the absence of live public concerts, digital platforms have helped me stay connected with audiences be it through online live streaming events, curated online concerts or casual live events and conversations.

3 pieces of equipment you cannot live without and why?

I don’t know - phone, laptop and a good pair of headphones maybe?

I can live without them, but they would probably rank highest in terms of priority - equipment wise.

What are some of your biggest learnings amid the new normal?

It’s been a whole year now but I still find it difficult to call it the new normal - it is still abnormal. Biggest learning has been that we have all been living a life of excess. We need so little, but we consume so much. I really hope that we take the effort and time to make things right - with the environment, with the planet, and with people.

AKARSH SHEKHAR

Marching

to Her Own Beat Drumming is usually considered to be a field that is dominated by men in general.

Regardless of the type of music, a woman sitting on a drum stool and grooving away isn’t a common sight. However, if you take a closer look, you will find out that the drumming community and industry aren’t as skewed towards men as one might assume. There are quite a few women who are helming the drum kit and infecting us with their incredible grooves. Surprisingly enough, female drummers are more common in testosterone-dripping genres of music such as rock and heavy metal. On this International Women’s Day, we will take a look at two fabulous women drummers from India who are marching to their own beats. *Drum roll*

Beat 1: How did it start?

Siddhi Shah was drawn to playing drums after consuming a steady diet of rock and metal music during her teenage years. She also draws inspiration from dance and art, all of which helped set her up on the path of becoming a drummer. Sapna Desai’s affinity towards drumming runs in her genes. Her father is a drummer and she was always attracted to the majestic charm of a drum set. Surprisingly enough, her parents were against her drumming pursuit. But just like her sense of time and tempo, she stayed strong and never wavered.

Beat 2: How did they learn the craft?

Siddhi Shah started teaching herself through YouTube videos and started taking drum lessons locally. After that, she obtained a Diploma in Drumming and Music Performance through The Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music, Chennai. She has continued to work on her skills since then and has cleared Trinity & Rockschool Grade 8 and Music Theory Grade 5 with distinctions. Sapna Desai’s father never taught her drums and she has mastered the craft by herself. Through her journey, she was guided by famous Indian drummers such as Gino Banks, Jai Rowkavi, Ranjit Barot, and Atur Son.

Siddhi Shah

Beat 3: Who inspired them?

Music is a field of life where inspiration is the key to success and growth. Siddhi Shah looks up to Jojo Mayer for his super crispy micro beats, Anika Nilles for her mastery in odd time signatures & subdivisions, Sarah Thawer for her pure authenticity, musicality and chop skills. When it comes to Sapna Desai, aside from the Indian drummers who guided her, she also looks up to international artists like Jose Pasillas, Virgil Donati, and Vinnie Colaiuta.

Beat 4: How are they carving their niche?

Siddhi Shah isn’t just satisfied with playing drums for a band, she wants to acquire the skills needed to become a one woman band. She loves the fact that she can inspire so many people through her exploits behind the drum kit. She has been able to inspire a host of young girls and their families through her work and she intends to continue doing so. Sapna Desai really enjoys breaking stereotypes and perceptions of a female drummer that people might have in their minds.

Through this, she stays cognizant of the fact that being a drummer is a physically demanding endeavour.

There’s a lot of heavy lifting involved and the kit needs to be assembled and disassembled regularly. However,

even through the grit and grind, she genuinely enjoys changing people’s perceptions of what a solid drummer should look like. Regardless of one’s gender, the amount of effort, practice, and dedication required stays the same. She loves the wave of confusion that passes through the crowd when it sees a woman setting up the drum kit and sound checking and not the usual big dude.

Regardless of what you think of women drummers, their rhythm is gonna get you.

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The Voice Behind The Voice: A LOOK AT INDIA’S LEADING

Women Vocal Coaches

When it comes to the behind-the-scenes dynamics of music, vocal coaches can be quite influential. After all, the best of the best singers need the training to sustain their vocals. As is evident from the title of their profession, vocal coaches, of course, take care of a singer’s singing technique but they can often do so much more. From breathing techniques to the correct diction, their everyday state of affairs entails a lot of exercises. It’s no cup of tea and a few prominent female vocal coaches in India bear testimony to this.

And there’s no one sure-shot way to coach any singer. All all, genres differ, voices differ, and most importantly, people differ. ‘Every singer’s body and vocal habits are different. So I pick their exercises based on the specific gaps in their ability...

The singing method in which I was trained overlaps a lot with speech therapy and vocal rehabilitation.’ says Vasundhara Vee, a Mumbai-based vocal ability mentor.

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To perfectly train a singer, the vocal coaches should themselves indulge in regular practice. As Vasundhara Vee sums up her routine, ‘There are hundreds of exercises that focus on different core aspects of the voice.

Keeping them in context to what I feel like singing is the most fun for me.

Otherwise, it gets dry and boring.’

While pianist and vocal instructor Jeanne Merchant mostly relies on ‘tonal and breathing’ exercises, Shannon Donald (vocal coach and founder of the educational collective Vocal Tribe India) strongly advocates the need to tackle the mental aspect of singing before learning the basic craft. To put it in her own words, ‘With my singers, we try to focus on HOW they practice & what quality and effectiveness they have while doing the work, instead of just coming to me to collect exercises and information. Once that is understood, then I focus on bringing out individual style - on what makes that singers’ voice unique. How to let go, free inhibitions, and just SING.’

Samantha Noella too believes in changing her routine every now and then, ‘My routine always starts with a breathing workout, stretching, working on breath extensions, Core strengthening, SOVT Exercises (Semi Occluded Vocal Tract) followed by Lip Rolls, vocal flexibility exercises, which revolve around various scales then depending on what the goal is I work on runs, or strengthening, endurance building, improvisation, etc ( working on a specific song/working on music by a specific artist).’

Singer and vocal arrange Suzanne D’Mello also stressed the importance of the SLS method that she often incorporates in her teaching. This method gives prime importance to building one’s diaphragmatic muscles, breath, range extension, vocal agility, and so on. As D’Mello explains, SLS aka the Speech-Level-Singing Method was introduced by Seth Riggs (who had his fair share of training singers like Michael Jackson, Prince, etc). In layperson terms, SLS can be elaborated as ‘learning to sing with the same comfort with which you speak.’

As for Noella’s final point, improvisation is found to be a common tenet amongst the routines of vocal coaches in general. For instance, Shannon Donald touches upon picking songs ‘that can be used as exercises’. This can range from a

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Shannon Donald Jeanne Merchant

Vasundhara Vee Picture Credit Amaemoir Photography

Suzanne D’Mello Samantha Noella

Whitney Houston ballad to a song from a musical, anything that a particular vocal style demands.

When asked about her practice routine, Jeanne Merchant gave a wholesome reply. ‘I sing with my students from 12 noon to 12 midnight through the day and that’s my practice .’

Of course, vocal coaches would practice if they first and foremost take care of their greatest asset i.e., their voice. Needless to say, these coaches have a lot of advice to offer for one to preserve their vocals. Noella sums up her own tips as follows, ‘I take great care to make sure I’m very well hydrated, take my vitamins, sleep at least 7-8 hours, avoid talking in crowded places or moving vehicles, talk at a natural volume.’ As for advice for other singers, she does shatter a few myths when she says, ‘DO NOT WHISPER. DO NOT gargle with saltwater’. She adds that one should immediately consult a certified Vocal First Aider in case of any voice pathology like nodules and polyps.

Vasundhara Vee’s tips include staying off the internet (courtesy of the misinformation present over there), keeping one’s body flexible and relaxed, and most importantly, mastering one’s singing to the extent that it feels effortless. This of course,

would be achieved with practice and figuring out the right method for one’s particular skills. ‘Every singer needs to know that no matter how loud, high or aggressively you sing, it should feel like zero effort.’ she says. Jeanne Merchant also adds on how one should focus more on singing rather than shouting.

Along with the aforementioned emphasis on sleep and ‘not screaming’, Suzanne D’Mello adds on the dietary requirements that vocalists should stick to. ‘Watch what you eat...Anything extreme is always harmful- so nothing too hot or cold or oily or sour. Stay Hydrated.’

Hence, the mental desire to sing and the hours of practice aren’t enough. The entire body should be preserved for the voice to reach its zenith. As Shannon Donald says, ‘A singer needs to understand that in order for all the practice & exercises to work - they need to create a receiving environment in their bodies, so when they do their riyaz, their vocal cords/muscles respond well and they actually gain progress!’

Hence, with all their valuable wisdom and years of experience, these vocal coaches have come a long way in their careers.’ I have been able to help so many singers reach singing goals they never thought possible.’ says D’Mello with a sense of fulfilment who began her stint as a coach by training Priyanka Chopra some eleven years ago. Sharing these emotions, Merchant also takes pride in her students who got into prestigious universities in New York last year, owing to their stunning auditions. Vee’s life has been equally rewarding rostering at international festivals with artists like John McLaughlin and working with Indian music maestros, a feat that she believes is difficult to achieve for artists without any involvement in film music.

Samantha Noella similarly takes pride in being a singer in the ever-growing indie scene as well as ‘a woman music educator who has her own school, has 2 children, and still performs, ready to take on the world and inspire a new generation of artistes.’

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Female Composers in Indian

ADITI SARAWAGI

Industry

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The future is undoubtedly female and the Indian music industry is not falling behind. There are more opportunities today and women are overcoming inhibitions in every sphere of work.

More and more women are taking up composing for Bollywood as well as the web space. Women today are slowly but steadily being given their due no matter what field they are in and are being taken seriously, hence finally we are beginning to see female composers in the Indian music industry as well. As they are given their due irrespective of their gender, allowing their work to speak for themselves, female music creators are entering this erstwhile male dominated industry.

on All India Radio called Homji Sisters, which was extremely popular.

Expert views differ but some say that Ishrat Sultana was the first female music director of Bollywood.

Adl-e-Jahangir is the first movie that she composed music for which was released in 1934. She also composed music for Qazzak Ki Ladki in 1937.

Jaddan Bai, another artist proved her mettle as one of the first few music directors in the male-dominated Indian film industry. She is the mother of legendary actress Nargis. The 1935 movie Talash-e-haq has music scored by her. Though she gave music to only one film, she was one of the first women to step up to the role of music composing and is hence considered a pioneer. Saraswati Devi has worked as a music director for more than thirty films. The 1936 movies Achut Kanya and Jeevan Nayya are considered her best work. She has many feathers in her cap-along with her sister, Saraswati Devi had a show

Not many people know that Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar has also played the role of music director under the pseudonym Anandghan for a few Marathi films in the 1960’s like Mohitnychi Manjula. Ilaiyaraaja’s daughter Bhavatharini cannot be left out of this non-exhaustive list as she has composed music for Mitr and Phir Milenge in Hindi and has even scored music for the Telegu film Avunaa and Tamil film Vellachi.

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Usha Khanna is a name to reckon with-she was the first woman to be nominated for the Filmfare award for best music director for the movie Souten. She is considered a legend in the Indian music industry. Her debut film as a music director was Dil Deke Dekho and she has seen a lot of commercial success with superhit songs like Chodo kal ki baatein, Shaayad meri shaadi ka khayal, Zindagi pyaar ka geet hai and Agar tum na hote among others, to her credit. Her last film as a composer was in 2003.

Among the newer set of composers Sneha Khanwalkar is an inspiration to all the female music composers in the country. She is known for her work in MTV: Sound Trippin’ and for composing the music for Gangs of Wasseypur Part 1 & Part 2 for which she was nominated for a Filmfare award for the best music director. She is only the second woman to be nominated for this honour after Usha Khanna.

Jasleen Royal is the sound of the millennial generation and has proven her mettle with several big projects credited to her name. Batti Gul Meter Chalu’s music grabbed attention with the thumping beats of Hard Hard and the soulful Har Har Gange sung

by Arijit Singh. She is making her presence felt in Bollywood as well as the independent music scene. She got her big break in Bollywood last year in Veere Di Wedding which featured one of her songs. Apart from that she even worked on Baar Baar Dekho as a composer and for the complete soundtrack of Hichki. Alokananda Dasgupta did the complete score for Sacred Games, on Netflix India and also for Breathe on Amazon. She is also the composer for the Rajkumar Rao starrer ‘Trapped’. Rachita Arora composed Dance Capital and Labbon Se Chhukar for Sacred Games. She has composed music for Newton in 2017 and Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz.

Rachita is doing a lot more than simply composing music-the entire background score for Shubh Mangal Saavdhan is to her credit. Parampara Thakur who has formed the first-ever male-female combination with Sachet Tandon. She has worked for Toilet Ek Prem Katha and Yamla Pagla Deewana: Phir Se amongst others.

The Indian music industry has benefited from the works of these music composers and it is time to do away with the gender divide as has been rightly proved by these talented women.

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THE ART BEHIND THE MUSIC:

A GLIMPSE AT SOME OF INDIA’S FINEST MUSIC ARTWORK DESIGNERS

These days, marketability is crucial for musicians, especially so if they fall under the so-called ‘indie’ space as they don’t have a record executive to cater to their whims and fancies. And so, the demand for masterful designers and artists has risen to create that perfect single/ album/music festival artwork that might contribute greatly to the aforementioned ‘marketability’.

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set with REProduce, Malfnktion’s Boxout FM shows, and so on, along with exhibiting her work at VH1 Supersonic. In the initial stages, she often relies on collaging and sending a few drafts to the artist before the design gets finalised although of course, the ever-present stress of deadlines can make her work tumultuous at times.

With new genres and new influences being fused and experimented with within Indian independent music, it becomes essential for the music artwork to vary from artist to artist. Needless to say, there’s no set pattern or template for any artist’s style and they are required to adapt and improvise based on what the situation demands.

Then, Sanjana Bhatt stresses the need for ‘feel and intuition in her work as a designer. Even though she no longer dabbles in music-related artworks, she and BHATTCHIN (Sachin Bhatt) have designed some iconic covers in the past, the likes of which include Triggurpunke by Chennaibased rockers The F-16s. Other clients included Malaysian band Kyoto Protocol and Japanese producer Daisuke Tanabe.

As Arundhati Manakkad puts it, ‘I just try to stay open-minded to everything that comes my way, no idea or feedback from anyone involved is too large or too small to be incorporated, I try to stay true to the artistic vision, and use that as the guiding force while working on the project.’

Manakkad’s expertise involves cover art pieces for Three Oscillators, a live visual art

The process behind her designs would start with Abhineet Anand and her getting involved with the artist’s photoshoots. Once that was done with, she explains the rest of her process as ‘having no process’. She adds, ‘There was never any process, we would listen to the music, say to each other “oh this would be a cool visual” and then we would draw it or engineer a photoshoot.

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SHAURYA SINGH THAPA

Arundathi Manakkad

Noopur Choksi

Nothing more to it! ‘. Apart from album art, Bhatt was also involved in helming tour posters and branding for recording studios.

Noopur Choski also often relies on listening to the music and then visualising accordingly, based on the cues and narratives that she picked up. ‘Sometimes I have a clear vision as soon as I hear a piece of music. And other times I dive deeper into the elements that pop up which allude to the story within the music.’ Malfnktion & Shayan Roy’s single Charlie, Captain Over Music’s EP Transmission, Ivan Conti Mamao’s album Poison Fruit (along with its Vinyl and CD editions), these are just some of the many entries in Choski’s past works.

She has also regularly been involved in illustrations for Bandcamp’s weekly shows.

To generalise album artworks, one can distinguish them as minimalistic and simple or highly-detailed and maximalist.

Choski’s covers seem to belong to the latter category on more occasions than one. ‘I like telling complex stories that have layers so I usually take a somewhat maximalist + surrealist approach while developing the visuals because it allows for a more openended experience.’ It’s for this reason that her designs boast of a strong storytelling element, owing to her admiration for visually-rich ideas that do bear a hint of obscurity (adding to the open-ended interpretation).

Amidst the plethora of hues and designs that they deal with, there might be moments when these visual artists go through a creative slump. So, then how do they overcome this ‘block’ of sorts?

‘I honestly don’t believe too much in the concept of a creative block.’ Arundhati Manakkad puts it simply. ‘For me, I’m on 24 x 7, because this is my job, I do believe

Sanjana Bhatt inspiration everywhere to be found. If there are no ideas left, one can always do still life and imagine what the plants would say to each other. There’s always a way to be creative, I do believe creativity is like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.’

One can think that too many demands from the musician can tire out the artist. Even though Mankkad’s experiences with her musical clients have mostly been smooth, she does mention the need for regularly consulting them. ‘ I’ve mostly been left to my own devices to come up with the artwork, but I do make it a point to ask artists for a concept note or lyrics (if any) so that I’m on the same page as them, and I send them drafts to make sure their comfortable with the direction that the artwork is taking.’

Sanjana Bhatt adds that she deals with the musicians involved just like any other client of hers. ‘They’ve come to us knowing our aesthetic, wanting our aesthetic, so we push back when we are confident that what we have is a good idea. Making artwork is a collaborative effort – after all, the music that goes into a record is very personal to the musicians. So, we listen to their inputs regarding the music, the feeling behind it, their intention, which is what they do best.’

‘I deal with creative blocks in a very intuitive way. If I feel like I’m being called to step away from the artwork for a bit, then I listen to that inner voice and take a breather. This often provides a fresh perspective when I do get back.’ Noopur Choski explains. At the end of the day, the final product is a collaborative project as it’s the artist’s vision that she has to implement. In what way this vision is to be implemented, that, of course, should always fall under the designer’s creative control.

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A

BRIEF

H I STO RYO F

Article written by Nirali Kartik, Classical artist and one half of the band Maati Baani’

Most of the female indian classical singers of today can’t help but look back into the fascinating lives and works of women indian classical singers of the past. India, with its multitude of cultural complexities coupled with the universal fascination for talented women, is bound to have multifarious tales in the field of arts.

Performing arts, especially singing, inherently feels like a woman’s domain as it delves into subtle emotions and expressiveness.

There’s a big reason why a female deity, Saraswati is considered the Goddess of arts and speech across the subcontinent.

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In the present times, a woman (or a man) with musical talent, who has worked hard to hone it and perform with brilliance is appreciated and revered, at large. And rightly so.

Nurturing and polishing talent usually needs years’ worth of studying and concentration. As a matter of fact, it’s not very different from how athletes have to train for their entire lives in order to become successful.

The Image of Female Classical Singers Through the Ages

When you sift through the pages of history, you will be surprised to see

how the perception of female classical singers has varied through time.

The Vedic Times

The apsaras of the Vedas were adept in singing and dancing. They were known to have been blessed with creative talents, calm, charm and a power to take on different forms.

The apsaras were often ‘sent’ to distract Gods and kings from their meditation and rituals in order to protect the rest of the people from suffering through a catastrophe. The Vedic period is known to be kinder to women and during this time the women artists symbolized the free flowing feminine spirit.

What historical manipulations led to the control of women by men is not clear. But it is a fact that women were pushed down on the lower rung by design in an increasingly patriarchal civilization.

This change in the social fabric also affected how women expressed their talents in public and how women artists were perceived.

Pre-Colonial Times

During this era, tawaifs were the custodians of the best performing arts: music, dance and poetry. While some female artists became tawaifs through matrilineal legacy (daughters of tawaifs), some others chose to be tawaifs. These brave women chose to be able to sing and dance over being muted. They underwent serious taleem (education) with the best ustads for many years before they started to perform in public.

Thanks to the Bollywood cliche, the word ‘Tawaif’ is now associated with a prostitute who leads a life without a destiny. A quick examination of the facts will help you uncover a different story. The tawaifs were extremely well versed in music, poetry and dance.

They wielded considerable power in the kingly courts as they were the only women out of the purdah. They could possess great wealth and property. In a way, they were the feminists of their times; bold and defying societal control.

While they were respected for their brilliance, they were not formally ‘allowed’ to have disciples by patriarchal design. Formally, only a male singer could train disciples to further the musical legacy. This discipleship culminated through a Ganda Bandhan ceremony. This could be one of the reasons that despite there being great women performers throughout history, there is not a single ‘Gharana’ named after them.

Tawaifs played a major role in the revolt of 1857 which shook the East India Company at its core. As the English men found how they were fooled by tawaifs, they implemented

schemes to take away the power from them. And what better way than to character assassinate a woman to make her powerless. New anti-tawaif laws were formed, essentially labelling these skilled musicians and artists “loose and immoral”.

Sadly, the Indian nationalists of that time also felt that it was about time to ‘cleanse’ the society of these women.

MK Gandhi didn’t accept the donation for the freedom movement raised by a group of tawaifs - such was the disdain for women who were once considered to be brilliant artists. Some tawaifs chose to marry in a desperate attempt to be respected in society by giving up their arts. Some were fortunate enough and were ‘allowed’ to perform even after their marriages. Some never married because giving up music was too steep a price to pay.

Independent India

From the first artist ever to be recorded in India, Gauhar Jaan to the Nightingale of Banaras, Siddheswari Devi; from the doyenne of Jaipur Atrauli Gharana Kesarbai Kerkar to Mallika-E- Ghazal, Begum Akhtar - all these illustrious women artists came from a matrilineal tawaif legacy.

As India gained independence, the status of women artists didn’t improve much but changed in nature. When All India Radio was established, ‘women with that kind of background’ or simply put, unmarried tawaifs were barred from performing. AIR decided to add Begum and Devi to Muslim and Hindu names of tawaifs respectively in order to destigmatize their presence.

So, Akhtari bai became Begum Akhtar and Siddheshwari bai became Siddheshwari Devi. With this change in ‘status’, they were then allowed to sing on All India Radio.

Wind of Change

Things began to change when more women from elite and middle-class families started learning classical music. Various music groups consisting of music lovers came into existence.

The respectability of women classical

musicians kept on increasing and they started to train young disciples.

For instance, the flute maestro of our times, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia learned from Vidushi Annapurna Devi. The contribution of female artists has greatly increased and has been also recognized over the last 50 years.

Vidushi Kishori Amonkar, Begum Parveen Sultana, Vidushi Hirabai Badodekar, Vidushi Prabha Atre, Vidushi Shobha Abhyankar are some of the women artists who contributed greatly in the performing as well as educational aspects of music for contemporary artists.

Image of Female Classical Musicians Today

Today, a female musician is admired, appreciated, and respected to various degrees. However, we constantly need to question the existing parameters for a female artist’s musicianship.

For example, there is an enormous number of traditional compositions in which the male composer had put his name in the bandish. Vidushi Shubha Mudgalji pointed out that even now when a woman composes a bandish, she doesn’t feel the need to put her name.

She has wondered why is it so?

Even when it comes to concert space, there is a wide gap in the ratio of female performers v/s male performers. In many major festivals, out of 9 solo artists, only one would be a female artist.

Then there’s also the usual payment through “exposure” which most artists dread. Even seasoned women artists have heard organizers say things like, “since you are from a well-to-do family, you don’t need to be given the fees for a performance.” These people still exist in the garb of “art admirers” when all they do is fleece artists. We can only hope these things change with time and female classical singers get the respect and recognition that they deserve. As that day comes nearer, we should never forget the elegance and brilliance of the women who paved the way for today’s singers to go and conquer the stage!

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From Ghatam to the Violin The Instrumental Women Behind Indian Instrumentalism Be it Western or Indian classical (Carnatic/Hindustani), instrumentalist compositions have been the mainstay of Indian music for ages. Once the domain of just men, the instruments have gradually fallen into the hands of more and more women over the years who are carrying forward a musical legacy while reinterpreting it in their own ways.

Rasika Shekar, for instance, is a leading proponent of the Indian bamboo flute aka bansuri. Her fascination with the instrument was accidental as she recounts, ‘When I was 7 years old, I found a small flute in the balcony of my aunt’s apartment and that sparked my curiosity.

When we moved to the US, my mom enrolled me into flute lessons with my guru and the journey began.’

In the United States, she received training under

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Dr. Bhavani Prakash. Other eminent flautists like Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia also served as inspirations, as she spent hours watching their videos and mastering her craft.

As most of the revered figures in flute music were still male, it’s clear to see that Rasika Shekar is changing the dynamics. ‘Meeting young women, girls, teenagers after

concerts who tell me they’ve started learning the flute after listening to my music. They’re truly huge moments. It’ll be beautiful to see more women instrumentalists in the world, breaking past any barriers and stereotypes we face.’ She says candidly. Today, her music’s genre ranges from Carnatic to Jazz to Fusion, and so on. She also wishes to diversify her skills with a desire to master the ornamentation of Irish flute music.

Sukanya Ramgopal has similarly carved a niche for herself with the percussion instrument ghatam, the clay pot that’s integral to South Indian music. Initially, in her childhood, Ramgopal was a violin student but the neighbouring mridangam class piqued her interest. And then, the ghatam became her calling even though she, of course, had to work hard to not just learn the instrument but to prove her musical capability as not many women played the ghatam in the first place.

She explains her initial stages as follows, ‘I requested Sri.T.R.Hariharasharma Sir (father of Sri. Vikku Sir) to teach me. He immediately accepted me as his student. With 3 years of rigorous practice and classes, I started playing for small concerts. I used to go with Vikku Sir to listen to his concerts. I was mesmerized by his playing and requested him to teach me ghatam. But he refused by saying that it would be difficult for me, as a girl, to produce sound on a clay pot. I persisted. About that time, Vikku sir went to teach at Berkeley University.’ However, after the Grammy-award-winning ghatam maestro Vikku Vinayakram came back to India, he was surprised at her progress and immediately took her as his student, abandoning all gender stereotypes of the past.

SHAURYA SINGH THAPA Even though technique is important for every instrument-practitioner, Ramgopal’s four-decade-old career now sees her discovering new expressions and techniques that she passes on.

Otherwise, she feels her approach to playing is hardly technique-oriented.

Naturally, she has gained a cult following amongst aficionados of Carnatic music. Her approach with the ‘clay pot’ shatters notions of the stereotypical ‘fragile’ woman who once couldn’t play such instruments.

Achievements like applause-driven shows and the Sangeet Natak Akademi award further make her journey worthwhile.

‘Being a woman in the music scene I think the best thing that happened was meeting some great women who are doing extremely well musically and professionally. I really enjoyed the interaction with them discussing their wonderful journey, while totally relating to many challenges they would have experienced too.’ This is how sitarist Anupama Bhagwat sums up the positive aspects of her career. Of course, a few judgmental audiences raise their head every now and then.

‘Occasionally, I hear “For a woman you are very good”. I try to ignore such back-handed compliments - as I firmly believe in hard work and perseverance, and let the music speak for itself.’

Bhagwat had initially started learning the violin, owing to her father’s skills as a violinist. However, when her uncle gifted her a sitar when she was just nine-years-old, her interest sparked and she felt a divine intervention as the sitar seemed to have ‘chosen’ her.

‘To be able to traverse the Raga while connecting with the audience is a beautiful journey in itself.’, she adds.

She later gained expertise under Shri R.N. Verma, while undergoing training for over 20 years. When asked if there’s a particular technique of the sitar that she would like to master now, Bhagwat elaborates on how her tryst with the instrument is an ever-lasting journey.

‘This is an ongoing process and I look forward to enjoying this learning through my performances of this art form with different audiences and different themes more and more.’

Violinist Padma Shankar seems to bear similar views as she also sums up the future of her career as ‘The learning still continues. The training under my gurus has given me the skill to be able to learn and upgrade all the time. I am now exploring how to adapt my style of music to express different genres.’ For a large part of her early years, violin maestro Sri. Lalgudi G Jayaraman trained her in Carnatic music even though her first teacher was her own mother who saw potential in her as a violinist. Apart from her guru, she also looks up to Sangita Kalanidhi Kanyakumari and Dr. N Rajam whom she describes as ‘sterling women violinists’. ‘All of them have paved a distinct path for us to look up to and follow. There are many others who continue to inspire me.’

Aside from such instrumentalists, Nirupama Belliappa dons many hats as she plays the Concert harp, the Western concert flute, and the classical guitar. Even though she taught herself the latter, she went on to train classically on piano, the harp, and the flute. She has attained popularity and has had her fair share of high moments in her career as she recounts her time when she chaired a session on underground electronic music at a music conference called WOMEX in Spain. The session discussed the origins of dance music and clubs as safe spaces for communities who were marginalized in other areas of mainstream society. This eventually helped her connect with a collective of female electronic artists from around Europe, Asia, and South America, filling her with inspiration and hope.

As for her own instrumental prowess, Belliappa seeks to change the general notions of the harp. As she puts it in her words, ‘I want to find ways to take the harp out of context – disrupt its traditional associations with purity and innocence – and also showcase a rawer, more primal and powerful side of its range and tonal qualities. I see the harp like a large flamenco guitar, with more range and resonance and therefore a whole other universe of possibilities.’

Anupama Bhagwat (Sitar)

Nirupama Belliappa (Harp)

Padma Shankar (Violin)

Rasika Shekar (Flute)

Sukkanya Ramgopal (Ghatam)

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Dolly Rateshwar Tell us about the start of The Dharavi Project •

A hip-hop movement since 2014 running in the bylanes of Dharavi (Asia’s 2nd largest Ghetto) for the last 5yrs as one of the very 1st #AfterSchoolofHiphop (completely free fee structure) across the world where domestic violence, in-fluence of alcohol and smoking up is a strong culture ‘distracting’ the under-resourced talent towards the nuances of the society. We have 7 instructors (artists from HipHop community ) who teach sub-elements of Hip-Hop to our emerging talent guiding them, nurturing and helping them get a sense of direc-tion in the life of an artist.

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From MC heam (Rap instructor- MTV Hustle contestant) to BBOY Vikram(breaking instructorstarted as a student and is now an instructor), D-Cypher(Beatboxer - lead voice in GullyBoy movie), Insane strokes and Gauri (Graffiti & Street ARt), DJ Spindoc and his crew for Deejaying and Abhijay Sharma (Music production instructor).

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Classes are conducted 6 days a week at our school in Dharavi.

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“The seed of this idea “The Dharavi DREAM Project” was sown from the very own vision at Qyuki by Samir Bangara to create and provide a digital platform to the young creators in India to showcase their Talent.

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During this time of scouting and meeting raw and

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young Talent, we came across 2 Hip Hop Crews from Dharavi (a home to a burgeoning Hip Hop cul-ture, completewith Rapping, Beatboxing, Emceeing and Graffitiing with multiple active crew member) and on boarded them in no time.With their unwavering passion and firm vision to spread the HipHop culture across the globe and, more importantly, educate people through their music and dance form impressed Samir. He introduced me to the initiative and I was the fortunate one to be chosen by him to give shape to this dream together. Qyuki and Universal Music have a long standing relationship on multiple fronts. When Devraj Sanyal , MD India & South Asia expressed his interest to do something impactful with music, we decided to combine forces and that’s how we all became a part of The Dharavi DREAM Project family.

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The project was launched to discover creators from the nook & corners of Asia’s largest slum “Dharavi” and help them leverage their Talent through our digital platform by means of collaboration, mentorship and technology across the world.

What are some of the initiatives you are currently working on?

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Covid has definitely turned out to be a blessing in disguise for The Dharavi DREAM Project. The need to run the school despite the lockdown became all the more important for us especially for our talent in dharavi so that they had some ray of hope in

their lives. As the world knows Dharavi was the 1st to go under the red containment zone and the communities of Dharavi were looked upon with different eyes from the outsiders. We decided to not stop but fight not only covid battle but also our sustenance together with our talent.

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April 1st 2020- we went online.

Started with our 100 students online with our in-house instructor MC heam’s guest artist - Naezy coming in as a Guest lecture at our very 1st online schoolofhipHop. MC heam helped us take the school across the country as well as intl. We saw a surge of student applications amounting to approx 1500 numbers enrolling his Rap lectures.

Well, we always wanted to cater to so many under-resourced talent across the globe but we wanted to stabilise our offline/physical school- but truly covid showed us how a challenge could become an opportunity for many. Since then we haven’t stopped :) Despite covide where the world was moving into the new normal - we got client gigs coming to us for virtual conferences where we performed at 2 conferences - (AHAM unconference, Alivelihoods Unconference) with over 100+ at-tendees from across the globe at respective conferences.

4 track releases from our very own talent during the lockdown

As a woman leading this initiative, what are some of the pros and cons of the same?

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First of all, being a woman in a patriarchal society has not been an easy ride for me. People and some artists in Hip-Hop would say that I am not even a Hip-Hop artist so why am I running a Hip-Hop school? Well, if the intent is right to give back to the community, we do not need to be a specific personality/artist to do the needful.

Dolly Rateshwar

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Having said that, it’s been a great ride with tons of everyday learning on the go. People do not take you seriously because you are a woman in music and that too not even an artist. With 100 boys coming to the school and 1 girl student, it felt awkward some days but then I decided that change begins with me. I saw 3 more girls joining the school and slowly steadily parents started be-coming more comfortable and felt proud to see me at the school.

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To start with, there would be frequent threatening calls as some people were not happy with the fact that a non-resident of Dharavi was trying to do some-thing for the community there, and that too in Hip-Hop. Also, a woman enabler in Hip-Hop is something that is not easily acceptable. The bigger elephant in the room -- being a woman enabler from a non-hip-hop background just adds to it :) . However, I see this as an opportunity that being a woman and only wom-an running a School of Hip-Hop in Asia’s largest ghetto is something that i am very fortunate to be doing. It has an advantage of never having been done be-fore. This also meant girl talent who otherwise shy away in a class full of boys are now torch bearers. This also has given comfort to the parents of girl stu-dents/talent to stand with their daugters, sisters and let them walk down the path of their passion , of what they want to do and at our school - they can come and learn in the most safest environment.

How do you support female artists through your project?

Taking into account public misconceptions, the misogynistic mentality prevalent in our society and the extent to which one’s economic status defines their access to the right information, it’s no surprise that even girls who genuinely want to make a differ-ence are held back because “ log kya kahenge”. Dharavi was considered to be an aggressive place, and domestic violence and drug influence is present even today. So, parents are more protective about their daughters compared to their sons. If you see the layout of ghettos like this, houses are very close to each other so there’s no privacy and whatever is being spoken about in one house is easily audible to the neighbour next door. So girls are informed to keep themselves low. That pressure remains on them. association of hip-hop with substance abuse and sex symbols, coupled with the fact that Indians, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, are dismissive of experimenting with music styles that go beyond the mainstream Bollywood has led to a lack of acceptance of girls getting into hip-hop. Opening up about instances in which girls who were interested in rapping and would come to the school to learn, but were forced to stop because of their families feeling it wasn’t “appropriate” for them, I am attempting to change this at a grassroots level by con-stantly encouraging the few girls who do show up to keep going and even visiting their families and trying to make them understand the potential of hip-hop. But even this has its own difficulties.

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AKARSH SHEKHAR

The Evolution of Women in Metal Women make up half of the world’s population. However, in the world of heavy metal, that percentage is way below that. Ever since Tony Iommi played the ominous riff of “Black Sabbath” in 1970, metal has been more or less a boy’s club. Not only were most metal artists men, most of the fanbase also consisted of men. Blitz Ellsworth, frontman of legendary thrash metal band Overkill said, “what has 2,000 legs and two breasts? An Overkill show.”

That number, as shocking as it might sound, wasn’t very far from the truth for a number of years. Women appeared on album covers and music videos but there wasn’t a lot of active participation with the music itself.

For a long time, women weren’t seen as anything much more than novelties in the scene. Members of the all girl metal band Girlschool were often asked if they were on stage to tune the guitars for the actual band that was to play. There wasn’t much respect on offer during those days. However, slowly but surely, the respect started building up. Artists like Lita Ford and Doro Pesch led the way for women in the 80s and gave female representation a major shot in the arm.

Women who powered their way into the scene brought a lot of awareness about female metal fans and artists in general. As metal grew and branched out into various subgenres, things started changing for the better. Symphonic, Folk and Gothic Metal bands started featuring women prominently and they became an integral part of the sound and the visual imagery of the genre. Artists like Annekke van Giersbergen, Tarja Turunen, Floor Jansen, Simone Simons and Liv Kristine earned a lot of respect and admiration from metal fans all over the world.

Aside from the symphonic subgenres, women such as Cristina Scabbia and Lzzy Hale started making a mark in other styles of metal as well. German singer Angela Gossow firmly established the presence of women as vocalists in the extreme metal subgenres as well. The site and sound of a woman growling aggressive lyrics out might have been a little unusual at first, but it has eventually become normal. The rise of guitar heroes like Nita Strauss is another great development for women in metal.

Despite the inroads which Ford and Pesch made, metal still remained a man’s world, from the take-no-prisoners music to the rigors of the mosh pit. While men bonded over mighty riffs, soaring solos and screamed “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, the women throwing up the Devil’s Horns were often ignored.

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One of the issues prevailing with the media covering women in metal is associating people like Amy Lee (of the pop-goth-rock band Evanescence), who have nothing to do with metal music, and using them as a representative of women in metal while actual pathbreakers like Electric Wizard’s Liz Buckingham and Bolt Thrower’s Jo Bench are ignored. This issue will resolve with time as more women in metal get their deserved recognition.

There is also the “semi-issue” of making a great deal of women’s looks in metal and launching annual lists covering their looks. However, metal artists like Lzzy Hale have maintained that it’s important to be a woman on stage and not a woman trying to be a man. She went on to add that the best part of being a woman in metal comes with being able to play with the boys, but in stilettos.

AKARSH SHEKHAR

MY ROCK OF LOVE The Women Behind

YOUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS Who is their Rock of Love?

Lakshya Bhatnagar doesn’t have one but three rock(s) of love. His daughter Rooyi, wife Shalini and grandmother Sushila Bhatnagar.

For Raghav Meattle, it’s his mother Vasanthi Meattle.

Sadasivan KM Nambisan considers his wife Sunitha as his rock of love.

Anil Srinivasan considers his wife Archana to be the luckiest thing that has ever happened to him.

Varun Rajput and Hitesh Rikki Madan consider their mothers and wives to be their rock(s) of love while for Rohan Solomon, it’s his mother.

What does their support mean?

For Lakshya Bhatnagar, his grandmother’s forward thinking mindset helped fuel the rebel inside him. His wife encouraged him to pursue a full time career in music and the arrival of his daughter, Rooyi, poured in a fountain of love in his life.

Raghav Meattle’s mother helped him cope with the music industry. She helped him develop a great work ethic, professionalism and a desire to give his best towards everything.

Anil Srinivasan’s wife Archana manages his perceptions and dealings with people in the field and brings a very level-headed perspective to most things.

Rohan Solomon’s mother is a classical vocalist and he started his initial vocal training with her. She would sing and teach all the elements of her ‘riyaz’ to him. He also received his mother’s complete support when he chose to leave for New York and study music production and audio engineering. That decision happened to be a turning point in his life.

Sadasivan KM Nambisan’s wife

helped him take care of his family and children while he pursued a roller coaster career in music. Such a career path requires constant support to keep the passion and musical instinct alive.

There are times when his wife Sunitha prevented him from giving up on his passion.

Ever since Varun Rajput developed an interest in learning and playing music, and wanted to buy a new instrument or a musical gadget, his mother would always go out of her way to buy it. His wife, Ishita has stood by him through all the ups and downs and pushed him to be his best version.

Hitesh Rikki Madan’s wife has always been understanding of his unconventional life and been an honest critic of his work. She has pushed him to raise the bar and motivate him to believe in himself and take necessary risks.

How do they make them better at music?

Lakshya Bhatnagar believes that in order to be a better artist in life, one needs people who accept you the way you are and let you be the best you can.

His rock(s) of love make him feel that way on a regular basis.

Raghav Meattle’s mother helped him become very consistent with everything, music classes, practice sessions etc. She also taught him the value of thinking for the long term.

Even though Rohan Solomon’s mother doesn’t really listen to the kind of music he plays, the initial support that she gave and continues to give, instilled him with a lot of confidence to do the kind of music that he likes.

Sadasivan KM Nambisan’s wife happens to be his biggest critic and helps him become a better artist and a human being in the process.

Anil Srinivasan’s wife gives him faith in his craft and affirms his sense of purpose.

Varun Rajput’s wife Ishita is one of his biggest critics. Her feedback gives him a lot of perspective and pushes him to up his game and become a better musician.

Hitesh Rikki Madan’s wife gives him enough space to pursue his career as a musician while also giving honest feedback for all of his work.

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AKARSH SHEKHAR

Carving Her

During the 1830s, famous luthiers like Johann Stauffer and René Lacote started collaborating with guitarists such as Luigi Lagnani, Fernando Sor to create what would be the world’s first signature guitar. For nearly two centuries since then, signature guitars have allowed players to sound more like their idols. As guitarists became more popular, more people wanted to emulate them. Guitar manufacturers have released more signature model guitars in response to that demand so that people can try to emulate their favourite guitarists on guitars bearing the artist’s name. The world of signature guitars has mainly been male dominated so far. But things have started changing now and a lot of great female guitarists have emerged. Here are some of the best signature guitars endorsed by incredible female guitarists.

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Sarah Longfield - Strandberg Boden Metal Sarah Longfield Edition Sarah Longfield is very well known for her incredible eight finger tapping skills. She is extremely popular on YouTube through her own work and collaborations with other popular YouTube guitarists such as Rob Scallon.

Strandberg, the brand famous for its headless guitars, has taken its Boden body style and given it the full Sarah Longfield treatment, available in six, seven and Longfield’s preferred eight string format.

Nita Strauss

Nita Strauss - Ibanez JIVA10 Nita Strauss Edition This sleek, aggressive, built for speed signature guitar is a perfect axe for the star metal guitarist Nita Strauss.

The JIVA10’s core is a combination of nyatoh topped with quilted maple. A maple/purpleheart neck and smooth ebony fingerboard rounds up the fantastic tonewood of this guitar.

The 3-piece Nitro Wizard neck and Prestige fret-edge treatment provides excellent playability. The 25.5” scale length comes equipped with 24 jumbo frets which are easily accessible through the cutaway.

Each guitar in the Boden Metal Sarah Longfield edition comes with a chambered basswood body with a quarter-inch maple top. The body features the distinctive Boden contouring with arm, torso and heel carves, onto which a roasted maple neck with carbon fibre reinforcement is bolted on. The ebony fretboard comes with 24 stainless steel frets (which is really awesome).

The guitar comes with Fishman Fluence Modern pickups, with an alnico pickup in the neck complementing its hotter ceramic counterpart in the bridge. There’s a three way selector, a push/pull control on the master volume for coil splitting and a push/pull on the tone for toggling between pickup voicings.

The versatile HSH (HumbuckerSingle Coil-Humbucker) configuration offers up thick, tight lows; punchy, open mids; crisp, smooth highs; plus great sustain and harmonics. The Ibanez JIVA10’s Edge-Zero II tremolo gives you the fast response and snap you need to pull off sharp bends and vibrato. The Beaten Path EKG-style fingerboard inlay completes the transformation of the JIVA10 into a serious sonic weapon. The JIVA10 is ideal for long sessions of fast and aggressive playing without going out of tune, just the way Nita Strauss likes to rock.

Orianthi

Orianthi - PRS SE Orianthi Edition This guitar is perfect for anyone who wants awesome quality, versatility, and great looks at an affordable price.

The legendary Orianthi Panagaris has been PRS since 1997 when she traded acoustic for electric guitar after seeing Carlos Santana in concert in her native country of Australia. Orianthi has jammed with and supported such legendary musicians as Carlos Santana, Steve Vai, ZZ Top, and Michael Jackson, cementing her place as one of the most iconic female guitar players of all time.

One of the first models to feature PRS birds, the SE Orianthi Model SE is based on the celebrated PRS Custom 24 model with several unique appointments, including a Korina back, Red Sparkle finish, and Orianth’s signature O at the 12th fret. The 25” scale length has 24 frets.

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Women Wordsmiths

OF THE MUSIC WORLD Celebrating the women lyricists and encouraging women to chase their dreams fearlessly on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

Words…Words are all I have to take your heart away…such a beautiful line! These are not merely a set of words, but a carefully woven string of soul-stirring thoughts. They take the form of what we usually call ‘lyrics’…the most debatable aspect of music today.

The World of Words

What goes into the making of the wonderful songs that linger in our minds? What is the process of writing like?

‘To be honest, I keep it very simple. I write my lyrics based on what fits the scene and the moment. I’ve never been one to pen lyrics on what’s super-commercial. That’s a very shortsighted way to approach musical projects. You might wow audiences temporarily but if you’re looking to create something timeless, you need to keep in mind what suits the film the most’, asserts Priya Saraiya who is known for her lyrics in ABCD, Go Goa Gone, Street Dancer 3 and many more songs.

Each lyricist has a different approach and perspective on coming up with that perfect song.

Abhiruchi Chand, who is known for her work in Kapoor n Sons and NH10 states, ‘The changing trend inspires my writing. What worked a few years ago in terms of language, sentiments and social circumstances might not work now. It’s challenging yet fun to keep evolving your craft.

To understand the new age lingo, to perceive situations the way they do and then write.

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Also, the fear of not being relevant I guess... It’s important to keep working on your craft and make it contemporary so that it touches a chord with the people’.

It all boils down to what strikes a chord. Isn’t that the main motive of any song? That people get hooked on to it, enjoy it and have a good time listening to it. This world has a different charm that draws us into the subject of the movie or the feel of the character. It has the power to make us cry, laugh or even get goosebumps on listening to the songs.

The Poetic Era

There’s a lot that goes into the lyrics of the song. Poetry has been the precursor to all the melodies that we listen today. Going back in time, the classic poetry of Amrita Pritam, Saroj Mohini Nayyar, Rani Malik and Maya Govind have contributed to some of the best songs in Bollywood. Women lyricists have evolved with time and matched the expectations of the changing society.

The Unforgettable Melodies

Talking about the most memorable songs of these times, we cannot forget the contribution of Anvita Dutt Guptan and Kausar Munir. Anvita has to her credit the lyrics of Queen, Shaandar, Dostana, I Hate Luv Storys, Student of the Year, Phillauri, Veere di Wedding and a lot more.

Kausar is known for her contribution in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Ek Tha Tiger, Dear Zindagi, Heropanti, Tashan, Dhoom 3 and the list goes on.

KANUPRIYA MODI

Inspiring Tales

We aspire to be inspired and take a closer look at what must be the course of action for those trying to make a mark in the world of music as lyricists.

Saaveri Verma, a lyricist known for her album Morey Piya asserts, ‘I have been a fighter all my life and never feared challenges. In fact, I love to conquer them, so that I see something new coming out of the old me. When I listen to any new popular song I try to find the emotions that audiences would have connected to and try to pen one such emotion in my immediate next song. That’s how I keep up with the pace. For upcoming lyricists, I would say, write your heart out’.

Priya Saraiya believes in trusting the inner voice, being bold, and authentic. She states, ‘Do not try to copy others or follow past hits. Never under estimate the audience’s love for something deep and meaningful. Don’t try to force the lyrics, inspiration will come eventually. And, creativity will follow. It’s like a muscle, the more you exercise it - the better you’ll get. But, be sure not to strain it too much also!

Lastly - take pride in everything you write’.

Some amazingly inspiring words from the women of words, isn’t it?

There’s a lot that one can learn from the journeys of these women.

Abhiruchi Chand for instance believes that patience is the key to good work.

She explains, ‘Keep writing; keep sharing your work with relevant people. Don’t wait for the opportunity to knock at your door. Go get it,

instead. Set the right intention. Pursue writing only for the love of writing and not because you love the glamour part of the industry or because you want to get famous’.

Breaking Boundaries

Women have forever been expected to act in a certain way and depend on others to take their life decisions. But we must draw an inspiration from the lyricists who are writing their heart out and breaking the shackles of the society.

It’s time we let women be. They will find their way, or build one if necessary. Believe in their belief because there’s nothing women can’t achieve. They are true trailblazers of tomorrow, making a mark for themselves in every field.

There is a huge list of women lyricists who are doing really well and vocalists like Ila Arun, Hard Kaur and Hema Sardesai have also penned a couple of songs. It’s a lovely world of words and these women are doing amazingly at expressing feelings in the form of lyrics that become unforgettable melodies.

Let’s salute the spirit of women lyricists and encourage women to pursue their passion. Let them fly and soar to greater heights with their imagination and skills, with words traverse to the realms of immortal art. Let them realise their dreams and claim the crown of contentment as they achieve what they aspire and inspire a million others to follow their dreams with grace and grit.

Abhiruchi Chand

Priya Saraiya

Saaveri Verma

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Dr. Tara Rajendran (‘Saraswati Veena’) promulgated as a muse and therapy by philosophers, including Aristotle and Plato. The first mention of music therapy in the literature is about Homer, the Greek author who won laurels for successfully practicing music therapy during surgeries. Perhaps this healing element in music makes us think that it’s not quite a coincidence that Apollo is the God of both medicine and music!

When did you start as a musician, and who did you learn from?

My parents were deeply fascinated by how playing ‘Mahaganapatim,’ a popular South Indian classical piece, on our red tape recorder brought down my grandmother’s anxiety while she was ailing with leukemia. That’s why they ensured that I received exposure to Carnatic music from a young age.

My grandmother passed away in 1998, and the same year, I began my vocal training. Two years later, at age 7, I started taking lessons on the Saraswati Veena. I spent my formative years learning Veena under Venkitachalam Balakrishnan Potti’s tutelage, acclaimed Veena artiste from Kerala, a protege of ‘Sangeeta Kalanidhi’ KS Narayanaswamy. Although I started off with the ‘Thanjavur tradition,’ my mentors walked me through the Karaikudi tradition during my time at Annamalai University, pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Veena. Chitti Babu, arguably one of the finest Vainikas, is someone I listened to my entire childhood. His exquisite tonal quality and plucking techniques have left an indelible mark on my mind. My music has the impact of all three styles.

How important is healing through music, according to you?

Music has tremendous influence in shaping ancient civilizations and individual lives, and it has been

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The field of music therapy traces its beginnings to World War II, when veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder were treated with music. It’s undeniably a burgeoning field. Integrating music into Indian healthcare will be impactful and cost-effective. However, we need to fill in several gaps, one of which is investing in randomized controlled trials on musical interventions customized to the Indian population.

What are some of your discoveries, having practiced this over the years?

Besides being a sacred refuge during periods of stress and physician burnout, music has fostered the values of patience, purposeful listening, and repetition while growing up. I started to give public performances at age 7, which instilled in me the strength of believing in yourself when placed in an emotionally vulnerable position. While pursuing a master’s in classical music, I wandered through the element of emotions invoked by the melodies. Music shares an intimate connection with the human brain.

Could you highlight some key benefits of patients healing through music?

While there is heterogeneity in the research methods of randomized controlled trials conducted across the world over the years, all of them conclude that music therapy reduces anxiety and stress in patients. Music has a significant positive impact on memory and orientation among Alzheimer’s patients. Music may improve social interaction and verbal communication among autism spectrum disorder. It was found to help reduce mood disturbance among autologous stem cell transplant patients.

What are the challenges you face as a female artist in this industry?

We are standing on giant shoulders. I am exceptionally grateful for the somewhatgender egalitarianism of the present day to the pioneers, the female trinity who made a foray into the patriarchal citadel of the early 1900s. While the disparities and discriminations continue, female musicians, have made great strides.

Your upcoming projects and plans

‘Oncology and Strings’ is my ambitious international project, which I started in 2019. It’s a lecture-concert series where I advocate the importance of introducing music into India’s palliative oncology infrastructure. I am also lending free mp3 classical instrumental clips to play passively in the hospital corridors (therapeutic music therapy). I am optimistic that, slowly but surely, India will have NMC accredited music therapy academic training programs that will enable music therapy as an established health care profession.

A cup of Music, a Gallon of Life

Feminity and music Article written by Nithya Rajendran, a professional Carnatic and Hindustani vocalist, and founder Music Vruksh, a platform that demystifies classical music for its aesthetic, spiritual and wellness potential.

Nurture, patience, beauty, grace, forbearance, sensitivity, humility and empathy. These words conjure up womanhood. The feminine. The yin. The goddess and the mother. The wife. The daughter. The sister. The lady.

It is quite evident in the way life plays out, that most things are a balance of masculine and feminine forces.

Much as we need the power and aggression that the masculine brings, nothing really is complete without the feminine to balance it. In nature, nothing really exists without the yin to balance the yang.

Music is no different. While some can interpret melody and rhythm as representing yin and yang respectively, we may also see this all-pervading truth within the melodic structure of classical Raagas.

A person once described her experience after a Carnatic classical music concert. She said, ‘I was awoken with power and positivity with Raagam Atana, and brought to tears by Raagam Subhapanthuvarali. I felt soft and romantic after hearing Kalyani, until I was awoken again with vigor and enthusiasm of Raagam Shankarabharan’. Through this gamut of emotional stimuli, clearly, she experienced the softer and balancing feminine emotions at regular intervals through the performance.

When we speak of the feminine in classical music, the deeply contemplative and creative aspects come to mind, like the ‘Aalap’ within a ‘Vilambit Khayal’ in a Hindustani vocal performance, and its couterpart ‘Aalapanai’ in Carnatic music that is done before the

‘Kriti’ presentation. One can imagine the meandering rivers, or the moonlight, as powerful feminine visual symbols that are conjured up when we think of these aspects of classical music. In addition, compositions in both Carnatic and Hindustani music can be found to be both literally and figuratively feminine. Odes to goddesses like Kali and Lakshmi are examples of the former. And the tones of the composition that express humility, gentleness, love and submission to the divine, are examples of the latter.

Feminity in music, is not only pertinent to music itself, but also to the qualities that make a musician. It is no wonder that irrespective of whether the artist is male or female, the feminine attributes in his or her music are immensely important for a beautiful musical presentation. These include expressing qualities of empathy and compassion towards the listener, audience or co-artist by tuning into their needs, showing qualities of nurture while teaching or imparting to students, and also feeling a sense of submission and humility towards music itself. These are just some examples of how the feminine is inseparable from music.

Music is a great leveler, bringing people together, making them leave aside their past and their worries about the future, capturing them in rapt attention within the present, leaving them in awe of its gentle yet powerful strength to move, bring to tears, inspire or love. Much like a woman can. It’s time to celebrate the feminine in music and in life.

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LOOKS GOOD, SOUNDS GOOD- BEST MUSIC ART BY FEMALE MUSICIANS IN FEBRUARY 2021

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GENELEC

monitors deliver highend music production for Mondosonic Studios

Mondosonic Studios has been a labour of love and five years of research for Varun Krrishna. Throughout his career he has strived for the sound of classic British recording which subsequently led to his enviable collection of analogue gear including a large-format desk and numerous pieces of outboard equipment - and ultimately the creation of his own studio in Kerala. To ensure he achieved the best possible results with his studio, Krrishna turned to Genelec Smart Active Monitoring for the perfect full range solution.

“I have a sound of my own, so each gear selection is based on that particular sound and workflow,” explains Krrishna, discussing the racks of outboard equipment in the studio. “Investing in all of that advanced gear without a great sounding room would have been a failure, so I got to work. It took more than three years to develop my studio’s console room and recording hall. I designed the rooms in ‘golden ratios’ myself and I’m quite happy about the sound I’m getting there now.”

The 600-sq-ft mixing space required monitors which could excel in both coverage and sound quality. Krrishna trialled 10 to 15 monitor speakers to try and find the correct solution for the space, and as part of this process spoke to the experts at Sound Team – a company from which he has bought a large amount of equipment over the last few years.

“Varun spoke to me around mid2019 about setting up this new room and we discussed a few Genelec monitor options to consider,” recalls Sound Team’s Shiv Sood. “We finally locked on the 1238DF with the 7380A subwoofer. Varun was looking at a high powered three-way active monitor but didn’t want to flush mount the monitors. The 1238DF was perfect as its cabinet depth is around 10 inches, and coupled with the 7380A makes a perfect full range monitoring solution.”

“I couldn’t be happier about what it delivers,” adds Krrishna. “It’s punchy, wide sounding, with great translation and offers an unbelievable accuracy in the low end.”

Tuning the space saw Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) software technology put to use. “I recollect that prior to ordering the system, Varun had questions about calibration, phase alignment, level matching and so on,” notes Sood. “As a solution provider you can so confidently explain to him how GLM effectively helps sort all these issues out, and provides the ability to set up all of this even by himself. I believe the sonic experience customers are getting is because GLM really plays a central part in the loudspeaker performance coming together.”

Krrishna agrees, describing the GLM integration as “flawless”.

February 2021 The new monitor setup is something that Krrishna is clearly very happy with. “Genelec made my mixes much greater by providing hyper-detailed monitoring,” he states. “I thank my friend Shiv from Sound Team, who was a great help in choosing and getting the right Genelec speakers for my room.”

For more information please visit www.genelec.com and www.mondosonicstudios.com The

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Unleash your creativity

Introducing GLM 4 loudspeaker manager software Pure, truthful sound reproduction. It’s the confidence of nearly half a century of research.

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GLM 4 offers simplicity, efficiency and infinite possibilities. And intuitive power that helps artists evolve, naturally. It’s the promise of your very own, true sonic reference.

GLM 4. Now nothing can stand between you and your artistry.

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