Asia Society New York: Coming Soon
Celebrated author William Dalrymple reads from his award-winning book The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty, Delhi, 1857, accompanied by North Indian vocalist Vidya Shah. This evocative evening celebrates 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.
http://asiasociety.org/calendars/last-mughals-william-dalrymple-and-vidya-shah
Vidya Shah
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
TOI Fest Hyderabad: Sufi Music is Beautiful
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-17/news-and-interviews/30165575_1_sufi-music-carnatic-music-sufi-lyrics
Bathed in moonlight and the magic of soulful Sufi music, the Quli Qutub Shahi Tombs will come alive as part of the Times Sufi Nights.
Renowned classical musician Vidya Shah, who will performing tonight, says she couldn't be more excited. "Sufi music has the potential to create a beautiful atmosphere. It is magical and that's why I enjoy performing it very much," says Vidya, who loves coming back to Hyderabad.
"This is my fourth time in the city in three years and I totally love Hyderabad. It's beautiful and so rich — architecturally, musically and foodwise. I've performed at the Qutub Shahi Tombs, Durgam Cheruvu and there's something about this place that just transports you back in time," she says.
Vidya, a trained classical singer, who was born into a family with a rich musical heritage, says that Hyderbadis can look forward to a tirbute to the Sufi greats tonight. "I like to bring in a lot of rhythm and percussion into my performance. I will be singing the works of Baba Bulle Shah and Shah Hussain. I also I plan to croon a Kaafiya which is sung by a lot of Sufi saints in Pakistan."
The musician is thrilled with the new trend of Sufi music reaching out to more people than ever, thanks to popular music projects in Pakistan and India. "I think it is a fantastic thing to have happened. These kind of cross-cultural music projects create an opportunity to synergize cultures and musical genres. And that's exactly what the idea of Sufism is all about. Currently, I'm working on a crossover project with jazz musicians in Europe. We are using saxophones, electronic sounds, tabla and sufi lyrics — it's all so exciting," says the musician, who has trained in Carnatic music and went on to study khayal, thumri, dadra and ghazal gayaki. "I can never stop learning. It's like getting a dose of vitamin everyday. You just keep going," quips Vidya, who has studied under the tutelage of Shubha Mudgal and Shanti Hiranand.
Even when she is playing the part of a social activist, Vidya uses music as a medium of change. "I feel, culture is a very important vehicle of spreading peace, love and it connects people together like nothing else. And what could be more powerful and poignant than singing these messages," says Vidya, who aims to do just that with Times Sufi Nights.
"I think a festival like this reaches out to diverse audiences. It's a lovely way of bringing people together. After all, there is some truth in the cliché — music transcends all boundaries."
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
An evening by the river -in Song (For The Yamuna- Elbe Public Art Project)
India is full of mythologies (Namami Yamunamaham ), rituals (Ganga Nahaana), non-theistic verse (jal me kumbh-kumbh me jal), which are replete with metaphorical references to water; semi-classical genres of music – Dadra, Sawan, the Hori, that describe vividly the birds, the swings, imagery in physical spaces …
The performance by Vidya Shah traverses through many of these references both literally and metaphorically. She delves into the deep waters through the various North Indian music traditions.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Q and A in The Times of India
Q&A ‘Music production has undergone a sea change’ Musician Vidya Shah is known for her stirring and soulful performances. However, she’s now stepped into the realm of archiving music and its memorable stars. Speaking with Srijana Mitra Das, Shah explains Women on Record (WoR), her multimedia project documenting female singers of the gramophone era – and why this is relevant in modern times:
Pleasetellusabout‘Women on Record’ – what inspired you to capture the voices and experiences of women singing in a far-removed era of jalsaghars and mehfils?
WoR began a few years ago when i was requested to perform the repertoire of the lesserknown Baijis at a concert in Delhi. I heard a lot of the music from this time and in the process got introduced to women who sang on these records and the incredible versatility they showed. This became the beginning of my journey into early 20th-century India.
Fascinatingly, women were at the forefront of this phenomenon. As a woman performer, i felt that perhaps there was a continuum here – the intersection of women and the record made way for the likes of me to take to the stage, but comfortably, without the social baggage they had dealt with.
Why is it important to celebrate women who sang in the gramophone era?
The Baijis were important to the world of performance, yet they have not been part of a mainstream discourse on music in India. Initially, it was mostly women who recorded in different regional languages across India in the early 20th century. These women of the 78 RPM era made a significant contribution not only to Hindustani music but also to literature, especially Urdu prose and poetry and, later, by their active involvement, to the worlds of theatre and film.
Will the project appeal to younger people whose tastes in music are so different?
Young people today are so challenged by the options they have – so much to choose from! But the flip side is, they have an appetite for all kinds of creative endeavours. We have tried to produce this project with attractive ingredients – it has stunning visuals, different kinds of music, songs, riddles, and now a website. It’s received fantastic responses from young and old audiences in the subcontinent. Having said that, something like this, even if very popular, will never match up to a Bollywood-like scale.
From the gramophone to the iPod, has the evolution of technology shaped music too?
The advent of sound recording changed the experience of listening to music forever. It redefined the world of entertainment. Artistes took on the challenge presented by this new technology – mainly of presenting an improvisatory genre in approximately three minutes. From these beginnings, music production has undergone a sea change. It continues to be more and more democratised. Technology has become very powerful in its presence, be it in live concerts or a recording.
Music is meant to soothe the senses – yet there are musicianslikeyoualsotakingup causes as activists, grappling with hard reality. Can the two roles be reconciled?
Culture has always played an important role in our pluralistic traditions, epitomised by the Bhakti and Sufi movements... but over the years, this critical space has been displaced by a very modular implosion – music has to be entertaining and commercial, its message becoming passé...however, i do not see my role as mutually exclusive to my creative expression. If i perform for World Peace Day, it’s also because i believe in the works of Faiz, Kabir or Surdas…it’s time we stop softpedalling our culture.
Pleasetellusabout‘Women on Record’ – what inspired you to capture the voices and experiences of women singing in a far-removed era of jalsaghars and mehfils?
WoR began a few years ago when i was requested to perform the repertoire of the lesserknown Baijis at a concert in Delhi. I heard a lot of the music from this time and in the process got introduced to women who sang on these records and the incredible versatility they showed. This became the beginning of my journey into early 20th-century India.
Fascinatingly, women were at the forefront of this phenomenon. As a woman performer, i felt that perhaps there was a continuum here – the intersection of women and the record made way for the likes of me to take to the stage, but comfortably, without the social baggage they had dealt with.
Why is it important to celebrate women who sang in the gramophone era?
The Baijis were important to the world of performance, yet they have not been part of a mainstream discourse on music in India. Initially, it was mostly women who recorded in different regional languages across India in the early 20th century. These women of the 78 RPM era made a significant contribution not only to Hindustani music but also to literature, especially Urdu prose and poetry and, later, by their active involvement, to the worlds of theatre and film.
Will the project appeal to younger people whose tastes in music are so different?
Young people today are so challenged by the options they have – so much to choose from! But the flip side is, they have an appetite for all kinds of creative endeavours. We have tried to produce this project with attractive ingredients – it has stunning visuals, different kinds of music, songs, riddles, and now a website. It’s received fantastic responses from young and old audiences in the subcontinent. Having said that, something like this, even if very popular, will never match up to a Bollywood-like scale.
From the gramophone to the iPod, has the evolution of technology shaped music too?
The advent of sound recording changed the experience of listening to music forever. It redefined the world of entertainment. Artistes took on the challenge presented by this new technology – mainly of presenting an improvisatory genre in approximately three minutes. From these beginnings, music production has undergone a sea change. It continues to be more and more democratised. Technology has become very powerful in its presence, be it in live concerts or a recording.
Music is meant to soothe the senses – yet there are musicianslikeyoualsotakingup causes as activists, grappling with hard reality. Can the two roles be reconciled?
Culture has always played an important role in our pluralistic traditions, epitomised by the Bhakti and Sufi movements... but over the years, this critical space has been displaced by a very modular implosion – music has to be entertaining and commercial, its message becoming passé...however, i do not see my role as mutually exclusive to my creative expression. If i perform for World Peace Day, it’s also because i believe in the works of Faiz, Kabir or Surdas…it’s time we stop softpedalling our culture.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
TOI Fest Hyderabad
Just back after singing to a wonderful discerning Hyderabadi crowd of nearly 3,000. What a stunning ambience to have the Quli Qutub Shah Tombs in the background, lit up beautifully, a gentle breeze and and a very engaged audience; feel humbled! My Interview in the TOI:
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-17/news-and-interviews/30165575_1_sufi-music-carnatic-music-sufi-lyrics
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Webite launched
www.womenonrecord.com check it out.
More on http://epaper.indianexpress.com/10278/Indian-Express/21-August-2011#p=page:n=3:z=1
More on http://epaper.indianexpres
Monday, August 1, 2011
Mori Araj Suno from the Album Mere Paas Raho
A small clip from my Faiz Album 'Mere Paas Raho' (Times Music) : I composed this unusual piece written by Faiz Saheb titled Nazr-e-Khusro, feels like his tribute to Amir Khusro's poetry.
http://soundcloud.com/vidya-
"At this point it is quite hard to figure out which is greater, Vidya’s passion for music, or her love for singing Faiz. Not that it matters of course; what matters is the fact that ever since I have come to know her, I have been deeply moved by her understanding of what Faiz means to the people of the Sub-continent. If music creates an unshakeable bond, words strengthen it ,as does Vidya's celebration of Faiz, poet of love and peace in his Centennial Year."
Salima Hashmi (Faiz Saheb's daughter)
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