When Shubha Mudgal speaks…

What a great day to be born on the first of January! As if announcing the arrival of a musical odyssey, Shubha Mudgal was born on January 1, 1959, and as we all know, she went on to become a name to reckon with, an inspiration to an entire country, mesmerising us with her renditions – from Hindustani classical music, Indian pop, to Tamil cinema. We may not see her perform too often now, but that is because, as she puts it, “some things have to be made rare”, and we can’t agree more.

Shubha recently associated with the launch of Seagram's Longitude 77, where she collaborated with Indian-American musician Karsh Kale and was glad to share, “This is the first time that I get to work with Karsh Kale. I have known his work. I have seen him perform, but I have never had the chance to perform with him. What has been a delight is the fact that he understands both classical music as well as other forms of music and gives an artiste like me the freedom to be myself in the music that he creates.”

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Excerpts from our conversation:

How has the music industry changed?

Well, I mean it has to change, otherwise it would be stagnant! However, I think the industry in itself has not found the time or the inclination to really respect artists’ rights as much as they should have. Other than that, of course it's a booming industry, they make a lot of money, it's a very attractive space where a lot of music is becoming popular – music from India is becoming popular across the world. Sadly, professionalising, looking at artists’ rights, and being just fair to them is still something that is far away.

Do you feel connected to the changes? Are you comfortable with them?

I mean, I am today's person. So, why would I not be comfortable with them? I am.

We don't see you perform too often. Is it a conscious choice?

Some things have to be made rare and we are not too easily accessible.

The days of albums were so good. Now everybody wants a single because our attention span has reduced. What do you have to say about this?

I can't control anyone's attention span, but I do believe in the power of music and I do believe that when music speaks to people, it speaks to them in a way that will transcend all barriers.

Are you working on or looking at coming up with an album or single, any projects in the pipeline?

I keep getting invited to work with different people, different composers. So yes, there are many singles, but I can't really tell you too much about them because I have signed up for some confidentiality.

You are such a legendary singer. Could you give some tips to upcoming musicians or singers, how to keep working on their voice and modulations?

I think such advice should be given by their teachers and not just passed out like this, for the simple reason that each voice is unique. Me just giving a formulaic answer would really just be hypocrisy. So, it is their teachers who really know their voices well and themselves who will have to look for ways to keep their voices robust.

Also read: Singer Amit Mishra recreates AR Rahman’s iconic song Latka

From the current set of artistes our country has, who would you want to work with and why?

Anyone, whether well-known or not known, I would be very happy to work with any artiste. Whether they are composers or singers, it is always a joy to work with them.

Does music have a definition? What is it for you?

For me, it's a passion and an obsession that has been a compelling one. It's also something that I know I will keep following for the rest of my life, but possibly never find what I am looking for. So, it's a very fulfilling process, but perhaps you will never find the end.

 Email: rupam@newindianexpress.com

X: @rupsjain