Queen of classical music coming in January

Shubha Mudgal  will perform on January 6 at 6.30 pm at Chowdiah Memorial Hall. Being a Hindustani classical, Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, and popular Indian pop musician.

She has been awarded the 1996 National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction for Amrit Beej, the 1998 Gold Plaque Award for Special Achievement in Music, at the 34th Chicago International Film Festival, for her music in the film Dance of the Wind (1997), and the Padma Shri in 2000.

She is also close to progressive movements like Anhad and Sahmat.

Born in an academic family to Skand and Jaya Gupta in  Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.

As a young girl she started learning Kathak in Allahabad following the foot steps of her sister. She once replied to a dance examiner's routine query of Aap kis gharaane ki naachti hain? (What style/form do you dance?)" with the retort, Hum apne gharaane ki naachti hain.

She later switched to Hindustani Classical Music as her vocation of choice while maintaining the same individualistic attitude. Her first traditional teacher (guru) was Pandit Ramashreya Jha in Allahabad.

She continued her musical education under Pandit Vinaya Chandra Mudgalya at the request of her first guru.

After graduating, her training continued under Pandit Vasant Thakar in Delhi, and more informally with other established singers as Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, Naina Devi and Pandit Kumar Gandharva.