Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan say their music festival Baaja Gaaja will showcase various forms of music
Shubha Mudgal, Aneesh Pradhan say their music festival Baaja Gaaja will showcase various forms of music |
| Musical partnership: Culturally rich Pune was the natural choice for Aneesh Pradhan and Shubha Mudgal to host their music festival Baaja Gaaja. Pic/Jignesh Mistry |
Shubha Mudgal and Aneesh Pradhan may not physically reside in Pune, but their association with our city goes back a long way, making them honorary Punekars. Mudgal studied under Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki spending a month at his home during her tutelage period. Aneesh Pradhan has performed in the city and his mother and sister studied in boarding schools here. The choice to hold their music festival, Baaja Gaaja, in the city is a result of their deep attachment to the city as well as the persistence of friends. They consider Ishanya a perfect venue to create the feel of a large campus and 'the amphitheatre is splendid' adds Shubhaji. Rooted as it is in culture, music and theatre, choosing Pune was easy.
Shubhaji could have been a kathak dancer but at the age of 17, love for music led her to her first guru, Pandit Ramashreya Jha. Her parents were professors of English literature at the Allahabad University, a campus crazy about music and the arts. She recollects a childhood spent planning trips to various music festivals. Young Shubha went on to study music under Pandit Vinaychandra Maudgalya, Pandit Vasant Thakkar as well as Pandit Kumar Gandharva. She learnt the nuances of thumri and dadra from Shrimati Nainadeviji. She declares that the one common factor with all her gurus is each of them had more than one guru and therefore evolved an eclectic style.
Aneesh Pradhan on the other hand, studied tabla under the tutelage of Pandit Nikhil Ghosh from the age of six.
The duo began collaborating and performing together since the early 90s. They used Internet-based technology on their projects and started an online record label
www.underscorerecords.com. They share pod casts and video casts of folk musicians and other musical genres on their You Tube link. Baaja Gaaja, the festival, was conceptualised to celebrate the five-year anniversary of Underscore. The initial idea was to get everyone involved under one platform. This balance of industry, performance and academia in music had never been done before. Aneeshji shares how most festivals concentrate on one form of music or a particular genre, but in Baaja Gaaja they celebrate the diversity of music. At their inauguration, three years ago, they had Pune's oldest shaadi band playing. This year they have the military band performing. They have non-Indians, performing Indian music and participating in the festival. Steve Gorn, a 2011 grammy nominee, is performing this season on the bansuri. A platform such as this allows for diversity. "We are creating awareness rather than promoting artists," emphasises Shubhaji.u00a0 "Musical diversity in India is a reflection of this country's cultural diversity and it is important to reflect that. Lets not be under the illusion that we are endorsing any form of music. We are here only because the music is already there."
Each time they plan the festival, they undergo a learning process since music is influenced by social and political milieus and is not created in a vacuum. They use college students to work at the festival thus giving them an opportunity to interact with artistes as well as earn pocket money.
A Powada performer, Rangarao Patil, was invited for Radio One's launch of the 'One city, One music' concept and spoke on musical diversity in India while sharing a platform with rock band Agni.
However, they are handicapped by a lack of sponsors. "Why is it that music festivals should only be not for profit?" queries Shubhaji. She hopes that benefactors in future look beyond conventional mileage and branding requirements.
She cites examples of western-based philanthropists who donate silently. The financial uncertainty leaves the future of Baaja Gaaja in limbo.
