Shubha Mudgal is a well-known India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n singer of Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...

, Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, and popular Indian Pop music.

She has been awarded the 1996 National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction

National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Music Direction

The National Film Award - Best Music Direction - Non-Feature Film winners:...

 for 'Amrit Beej', the 1998 Gold Plaque Award for Special Achievement in Music, at the 34th Chicago International Film Festival

Chicago International Film Festival

The Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....

, for her music in the film Dance of the Wind

Dance of the Wind

Swara Mandal or Dance of the Wind is an 1997 Hindi film written and directed by Rajan Khosa, it was the feature film debut of the director. It starred Kitu Gidwani and Bhaveen Gosain in lead roles...

 (1997), and the Padma Shri

Padma Shri

Padma Shri is the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan...

 in 2000. She is also close to progressive movements like ANHAD

ANHAD

ANHAD is an Indian socio-cultural organization established in March 2003, as a response to 2002 Gujarat riots. Shabnam Hashmi, sister of the slain activist Safdar Hashmi and founder of SAHMAT, Marxian historian Prof. K N Panikkar and social activist Harsh Mander are the founding members of ANHAD...

  and SAHMAT.

Early life

Born

Born

Born may refer to:* Childbirth* Born , a limited series comic book featuring the Punisher* Born Feinkost GmbH, a German food company* Born , a lunar crater-Places:* Born, Netherlands, a town in the Netherlands...

 in an academic family to Skand and Jaya Gupta in Allahabad

Allahabad

Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...

, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...

. Both her parents were professors of English literature

English literature

English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....

 at Allahabad University

Allahabad University

Allahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...

, with deep interest in classical

Classical music

Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...

 Hindustani

Hindustani language

Hindi-Urdu is an Indo-Aryan language and the lingua franca of North India and Pakistan. It is also known as Hindustani , and historically, as Hindavi or Rekhta...

 music and Kathak. Her paternal grandfather, Prof. P. C. Gupta was also a professor

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

 at Allahabad University

Allahabad University

Allahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...

.

She attended St. Mary's Convent Inter College

St. Mary's Convent Inter College

St. Mary's Convent Inter College, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, is a girls school run by the Sisters of the Congregation of Jesus in collaboration with a lay staff members. It was founded in 1866 by Mother Mary Ward for the education of girls...

. As a young girl

Girl

A girl is any female human from birth through childhood and adolescence to attainment of adulthood. The term may also be used to mean a young woman.-Etymology:...

 she started learning Kathak in Allahabad

Allahabad

Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...

  following the foot steps of her sister. She replied once to a dance examiner's routine query of "Aap kis gharaane ka naachti hain (what gharana (house/style) do you dance from?)" with the retort "Hum apne gharaane ka naachti hain (I dance from my own gharana)". She later switched to Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music

Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...

 as her vocation of choice while maintaining the same individualistic attitude. Her first traditional teacher (guru) was Pandit Ramashreya Jha

Ramashreya jha

Ramashreya Jha was a distinguished composer, musician, scholar and teacher of Hindustani Classical music. He was the Head of the Department of Music in Allahabad University from 1980 to 1989. He was known for his deep knowledge, creative genius and his gifts as a teacher...

 in Allahabad

Allahabad

Allahabad , or Settled by God in Persian, is a major city of India and is one of the main holy cities of Hinduism. It was renamed by the Mughals from the ancient name of Prayaga , and is by some accounts the second-oldest city in India. It is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh,...

.

Mudgal moved to New Delhi and enrolled at the Delhi University. She continued her musical education under Pandit Vinaya Chandra Mudgalya at the urging of her first guru. After graduating from the university, her training continued under Pandit Vasant Thakar in Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

, and more informally with other established singer as Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki

Jitendra Abhisheki

Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki was an Indian vocalist, composer and scholar of classical, semi-classical, and devotional music...

, Naina Devi

Naina Devi

Naina Devi is a town and a municipal council in Bilaspur district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.-Demographics:As of the 2001 India census, Naina Devi had a population of 1161. Males constitute 63% of the population and females 37%. Naina Devi has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher...

 and Pt. Kumar Gandharva

Kumar Gandharva

Kumar Gandharva or Shivaputra Siddharamayya Komkallimath was a Hindustani classical singer, famous for his unique vocal style, refusal to be bound by the tradition of any gharana, and his innovative genius...

.

Performing career

Shubha Mudgal started performing as a classical singer in the 80s and gained a certain reputation as a talented singer. In the 90's, she started experimenting with other forms of music, including pop and fusion varieties. She says, "I believe in music. Khayal and thumari are my favourites, but that doesn’t mean I should not experiment with other forms, Why should I curtail my musical urges?" asks the singer and adds, "I want to allow the artist in me to come through. If you are a musician, how can you say, 'this one is from devotional poetry, so I'm not going to sing it.' In addition to her recordings and concerts, she also briefly ran a website called raagsangeet.com aimed at lovers of traditional Indian music.

Personal life

After graduating from University Shubha married Pt. Mudgalaya's son Mukul Mudgal who was a promising lawyer. Shubha Mudgal got divorced from her first husband, and got married to Aneesh Pradhan. Her only son from her previous marriage, Dhawal, is a member of a Delhi-based band.

Discography

• Ali More Angana (1996)
• Arasial (1998)
• Classically Yours (1999) ISBN: D4HV2718
• Ab ke Sawan
• Pyaar Ke Geet
• Mann Ki Manjeree
• Kisson Ki Chadar (2003)
• Shubh Deepavali (2005)
• Anand Mangal
• The Awakening (2006)
• Jahan-E-Khusrau (2007)

External links

• Official website
• Shubha Mudgal in Dance with the Wind
• Diwali 2008 Sunnyvale, US concert updates at UPANA