The Right Way for Classical Music
Singer and musician, Vidya Shah was constantly on the move, singing at literature festivals to concerts across the country. How has the artist been keeping up with it?
Vidya Shah was ten years old when she started to train in classical music. A South Indian who lived in Delhi, she grew up in a household that welcomed all genres of music. The artist recalls with a smile, “As a young child it is not easy to find joy in classical forms, especially as they are based on repetition. I remember I had the gentlest teacher, but in my mind he transformed into this looming creature from whom I had to learn every day!”
When that learning by habit turned into a lifelong passion, the singer, given her expansive range (from ghazal and Sufi to thumri and dadra, amongst others), believes the shift has happened quietly.
Performing internationally at venues like the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., the Asia Society in New York, and the British Museum in London and known for her prolific range of research, including Women on Record, a project that explores the untold stories of women in the gramophone era, the Delhi-based singer has always pushed the bar through her work.
A hallmark of Shah’s abundant output has been her absolute command over genres, which she credits to one of her gurus, another music legend, Shubha Mudgal. She shares, “She told me to sing whichever genre I wanted to without compromising on the grammar and essence. I have always heeded that, and though the context and challenges change, say even when I sing someone else’s repertoire, I infuse an element of my own into it.”
One wonders where traditional forms of music stand in an AI-fatigued space. The classical singer remains unfazed by the advent of technology and trends, saying, “People come to classical music with an understanding and a certain mind space of its shape and form. It cannot be rushed, and people are aware of that. What my concern is that is culture and entertainment need to be separate; traditional forms can be challenging, disruptive, and boring even, but it needs to be given its space.”
Travelling gives her time to research and to listen to different kinds of music, be it on the flight or in the hotel. “What one needs is to be fit. I play badminton when in Delhi, and musicians should find that one something, from golf to yoga, that keeps them agile,” she adds.
QUICK TAKE
* One classical music genre young generations should listen to: Thumri
* Classical greats who should be on every playlist:
Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Bhimsen Joshi and Siddheswari Devi
* On your wish list:
To visit Ladakh
* Currently listening to: Yo Yo Ma, Ella Fitzgerald and Ali Farka Touré