With recordings as versatile and varied as `Songs of the Seasons' and `Classically Yours' to `Ali More Angana', `Jai Jai Mataram' and `Ab Ke Sawan', and Mann Ke Manjeere in the popular mould, Shubha Mudgal has often left audiences spellbound with her range and command over virtually every form of music.

Born in 1959 into a musically dedicated family, Shubha Mudgal has received her training from some of the finest musicians and musicologists in India. Trained initially as a Khayal singer by Pandit Ram Ashreya Jha in Allahabad, her place of birth, Shubha later moved to Delhi where she received the guidance of Pandit Vinay Chandra Maudgalya and Pandit Vasant Thakar. She went on to polish her stylistic techniques from well-known maestro Pt. Kumar Gandharva.

She also received training in thumri from Guru Smt. Naina Devi and is thus one of the most versatile and popular performers of the new generation of Hindustani musicians. Though her basic training was in the tradition of Gwalior gharana, she has assimilated other influences, thus not claiming lineage of any particular gharana. It is her association with Pt Kumar Gandharva, which changed her style of music. In addition to being a performer, Shubha is also recognised as a composer. Her repertoire of medieval mystic bhakti (devotional) and sufi poetry includes rare texts from the Vaishnava pushti-marg poets as well as the nirguna poetry of Kabir, Namdev, Amir Khusrau, Nath-panthi poets and other sufiana poetry.

As a result of studying and setting to tune this poetry she presents concerts on the works of Kabir, Meera, Tulsi, and Soor Sagar. Shubha has composed Utsav, a selection of pushti margi texts on the theme of seasonal celebrations such as Holi, Diwali and Vasant, Rasikapriya, a selection from Keshav Das’ Rasakpriya and Baramasa, a selection of songs on the twelve months from different historical texts. Shubha enjoys working with artists of all mediums. She has composed music for dancers like Sonal Mansingh, Aditi Mangaldas, Prerna Shrimali; for ballets like Meera, Parikrama, Krishna Katha; for documentary films.

She has also received the Best Music Direction Award in 1996 by the National Film Festival for Meera Diwan’s Amrit Beej. She has also composed signature tunes for television serials and films. She has been the composer for special occasions such as The British Museum’s inauguration of the Padshah Nama exhibition. Recently she has worked with film directors such as Mira Nair’s (for Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love) and Rajan Khosa (for Dance of the Wind) to be released by Pandora Films, Germany.

On Sunday, September 21st at 4.00 pm, Shubha Mudgal will be giving a musical performance at the MIT KRESGE Auditorium. Book your tickets early to hear this music prodigy bring to life different musical styles and experiment with different genres of music.

For tickets visit www.Sulekha.com/boston

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