Of Earth And Ether

Serene and combustible at once, free as well as adherent, of her illustrious lineage but wholly individual—dualities defined both the diva and her music      

My Tribute to Kishori Amonkar

http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/

JALSA Indian Women and Their Journeys from the Salon to the Studio

Jalsa takes you through the journeys of women performers in India from the salon to the studio. It attempts to give an insight into and a perspective on the beginning of the interface of technology and entertainment, and the irreversible impact this has had on how we listen to, enjoy and consume music. It acknowledges an important slice of the history of Indian music which is celebrated the world over today in its many forms and avatars.

copies online, please visit: 

 www.swb.co.in, www.amazon.in

Gandhi jayanti Tribute

a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi with Vaishnava Jana To - a Gujarati bhajan written in the 15th century by the poet Narsinh Mehta. The paintings are from the well known artist Haku Shah’s collection “Nitya Gandhi”. This bhajan, rendered in the Sabarmati Ashram style, was included in Gandhiji’s daily prayer. It speaks about the life, ideals and thoughts of everyday people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jukkMkSdtO0

On Begum Akhtar: Can never cease to amaze

http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/78-revolutions/295075
My piece in the Outlook

The Last Mughal (in Perfomance) With William Dalrymple

Review in the Daily Star Dhaka

http://www.thedailystar.net/the-splendour-of-mughal-india-51476 

About the performance:

Enter a world of music and poetry with The Last Mughal, a performance that takes us back to a bygone era of matchless splendour – the period of the last Mughals. Based on the book of the the well known author William Dalrymple, William and the celebrated North Indian vocalist VidyaShah celebrate the bygone era of India's last Mughals, bringing to life a world of emperors, poets, courtesans, politics, bayonets, intrigue and love through word and music.

This evocative evening features readings by award winning author from his book The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857 and the vocals of Vidya Shah celebrating the poignant and robust folk poetry of the time and ghazals of the Mughal court.

Sit back on cushions, bolsters and satin throws as Vidya and William take us back in time into the vivid world of the Last Mughal.

Protest Music: Its relevance

The significance of Protest music: In the DNA 
http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-rallying-cry-of-music-2009198

"While it is really every musician's discretion to choose the genre and music that they wish to explore, protest music comes with an added responsibility — it is after all for questioning and protesting, not just about performing! And to that extent the context in which it is performed brings a lot of value to it — the rally, the sit-in protest or dharna, the mass public meetings and so on. Taking it to a performance platform pulls the sting out of it — tames it, reduces it to mere entertainment. The success of protest music in bringing about change is intrinsically dependent on its ability to gather a mass following for a cause — the more the number of people who can identify with the lyrics, the better the chances of the cause being conveyed."

When Men spoke the feminine: The language of culture

When Men spoke the feminine: My column in the DNA this month

http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-a-celebration-of-women-1998246
Sufi poetry and the Bhakti tradition opened a window to freedom, denied to women in real life.