Anuradha Pal

" If the male synonym for the tabla is Zakir Hussain, then the female equivalent has to be Anuradha Pal. " - Hindustan Times, 2011.[2]

Anuradha Pal
OriginMumbai, Maharashtra, India
GenresHindustani classical music, World music, Percussion
Occupation(s)Musician, Music Composer, Tabla Virtuoso
InstrumentsTabla, World Percussion
LabelsSur aaur Saaz [1]
Websitewww.anuradhapal.com

Anuradha Pal is a Tabla virtuoso, multi-percussionist and music composer who has been described as the "first professional female tabla player in the world" by Encyclopedia Britannica and the Limca Book of Records.[3]

A disciple of Ustad Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain, she performed at the Woodstock Festival in 2008[4] with her World music band, Anuradha Pal's Recharge[5] for an audience of 400,000 people.

She has performed on All India Radio and serves on the panel of Indian Council for Cultural Relations. In 2017, she performed for over 1 lakh villagers in Balgram, Talluka Jath, Sangli, Maharashtra as Brand Ambassador of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Yojana.[6]

Early life

Anuradha Pal was born in Mumbai to pharmaceutical doyen, Devinder Pal and painter-writer Ila Pal.[7] She initiated her tabla training under Shri Manikrao Popatkar and Pt. Madan Mishra, both of the Benares Gharana and finally became a Ganda Bandhan shagird of Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain[8] of the Punjab Gharana.

She started performing professionally from the age of 10.5 years,[3] with her work described as incredible Tayyari, Layakari and immaculate presentation[9] and was described as the Lady Zakir Hussain by Maharashtra Times, when she was seventeen.[10]

Career

Professional Accomplishments

She has accompanied musicians [11] such as Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Ustad Zakir Hussain, Smt. Girija Devi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Sultan Khan, Ustad Shahid Parvez, Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt; young maestros [12] like Rakesh Chaurasia, Rahul Sharma, Sabir Khan & Niladri Kumar, as well as Jazz, Latin, Western Classical, Flamenco, Folk and African musicians.[13]

She has performed for then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,[14] Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj, Maneka Gandhi, Smriti Irani & Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore and others.[15]

She composed the background score for M.F. Husain’s film Gaja Gamini.[16] She has also composed music for short films, documentaries, theatre and other commissioned work and events.

She has conducted Lecture Demonstrations and workshops at Harvard University, Berklee College of Music, M.I.T (USA), Vienna Boys Choir, Palazzo Ducale (Italy), MilapFest (U.K), Monash University (Australia), IIT Mumbai, TEDxBITS Pilani, to name a few. She was invited as an artist-in-residence by the New England Conservatory of Music in 2006.[17]

She collaborated with NDR Bigband from Germany at the India Week Hamburg 2017.[18] Here, the orchestra presented three of her compositions (Energy, Just One God and Cloud 9).[19]

She contributed in the research for the books 'Relationship between Brain, Music & Language' at Neurosciences University, San Diego and 'Study of Tabla, Aesthetics & Complexities' at the Harvard Science Centre.

She represented India at the Asian Performer's Summit in Japan in 1999.

Performances at music festivals

USA - Masters of Indian Music Festival, Young Music Wizards of India, Asia Society, Ali Akbar Khan Festival, Basant Bahar Festival, MITHAS, Learnquest Music Festival.[20]

UK - WOMAD (Reading), Bath International Music festival, MilapFest, Commonwealth Games Festival, City of London Festival, Asian Music Festival, Rhythm Sticks Festival, Greenwich & Docklands Festival, Darbar Festival, Cardiff Jazz Festival, BBC Music Live Festival (Scotland).

EUROPE - Woodstock Festival (Poland), Voices of the World Festival (Denmark), Sangam Indian Music Festival (Germany), Museum Rietberg (Switzerland), Festival Musicale del Mediterraneo (Italy), Theatre de la Ville (France), Night of the Virtuosos Festival (Reunion Islands), Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre, University of Esztergom (Hungary), The Music Academy, Zadar Puppet Theatre, Croatian National Theatre (Croatia), Madlenianum Opera and Theatre (Serbia).

ASIA - Global Fusion Festival (Dubai),[21] Vrindavan Festival (Hong Kong), Bangkok International Music Festival (Thailand), Victoria Arts Hall (Singapore), Tokyo Music festival, Phoenix Music Festival (Japan).

AFRICA - Night of the Virtuosos Festival (Mauritius), CHOGM Summit (Nigeria)

AUS/ NZ - Bellingen Global Carnival, Carnevale Festival, Queensland Performing Arts Complex, The Octagon

OTHER - Festival of India (Brazil), Festival Musique Multi Montreal (Canada)

Musical Offerings
  • Anuradha Pal in Tabla Jugalbandi with herself[22] - An innovative, rhythmic dialogue between the traditional and contemporary. She presents easy to understand, original stories on two Tablas - husband-wife arguing,[23] mother-daughter interaction,[24] stories from the Ramayan & Mahabharat epics, Ardhanarishwar i.e. purush & prakruti in Indian spirituality [25]& contemporary interpretations of magic of monsoons, steam engine, horse galloping, Mumbai traffic & festivals like Holi, Diwali, Ram Navami etc.
Anuradha Pal's Stree Shakti band with the Pan African Orchestra
  • Anuradha Pal's Stree Shakti [26] - The first all-female Indian Classical Music band formed by Anuradha Pal in 1996,[27] reflecting the emergence of woman power in the traditionally male dominated field of Indian rhythm. The band features a unique combination of Hindustani with Carnatic music, melody with rhythm and the traditional with contemporary. They have enthralled audiences at some of the biggest music festivals in the world and also toured with the Pan-African Orchestra from Ghana for a concert tour of UK and Ireland in 2002.[28]
  • Accompaniment / Collaborations [29] - She regularly performs with the best Indian and International musicians, dancers, painters & poets; from diverse genres (Hindustani & Carnatic Classical, Percussion, Folk, Fusion etc.)
  • Anuradha Pal's Recharge / Su-Fo-Re- [5] - An extremely unique & electrifying fusion of Indian Classical, Jazz, Folk & Sufi Music, combined with passionate & groovy rhythms from Africa, Latin America & India; connecting people & cultures from around the globe, celebrating unity amidst diversity.

Awards and media recognition

Awards

Anuradha Pal has received several prestigious awards.

YearAward NameOrganisation
2018First Ladies AwardMinistry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India
2017Women's Achiever's AwardInner Wheel Club of Bombay Airport
2017Surabhi AwardAashirwad Foundation
2017Rotary Vocational Appreciation AwardRotary Club of Bombay West
2016Woman of Excellence AwardFICCI FLO Ahmedabad
2016All India Radio/ Doordarshan Top GradePrasar Bharati, New Delhi
2015Women Achievers' AwardYoung Environmentalists
2014Fempowerment AwardMolecule Communications
2013Dagar Gharana SammanHRH Arvind Singh Mewar
2011Malva Taal Shiromani SammanMalva Sangeet Manch Samiti
2010Excellence AwardState of Canada
2010Adwitiya Stree Shakti PuraskarKalidas Academy, Ujjain
2009Star Taal AwardStar TV
2007Zee Astitva AwardZee Network
2006Sanskrutic PuraskarGovernment of Maharashtra
1999Best Musician AwardPandit Jasraj
1997Taal RatnaBhatkhande Lalit Shiksha Samiti
1995Vocational Excellence awardRotary Club, Mumbai
1993Mahakal SammanMahakaleshwar Samiti, Ujjain
1990Taal ManiSur Singar Samsad, Mumbai
1989Gold MedalAll India Youth Festival, Roorkee

Media Recognition

Featured as one of the pre-eminent Torchbearers of Indian Classical Music in a book released in 2017 along with other young maestros like Mandolin U. Srinivas, Shankar Mahadevan, Kaushiki Chakraborty, amongst many others.

Featured as a Woman of Pure Wonder in a book by Vodafone Foundation in 2016 along with Justice Leila Seth, Sanjana Kapoor, Shovana Narayan, Deepa Malik, amongst various other women achievers.

Featured on Polish TV's major European channel as Asia's Youth Icon in 2008.

Featured in Documentary Gender Bender on women who have excelled & broken barriers in male dominated fields in 2006.

Featured in a film titled Woman of Substance by Doordarshan National Archives in 2006.

Featured in a documentary titled All About Her on Times Now channel in 2004.

Featured in the film Adventure Divas by the American Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) as one of the great women achievers of India and the World in 2001.

BBC World Service broadcast Anuradha Pal's Stree Shakti LIVE at WOMAD Festival in 56 countries in 1999.

Featured in the documentary titled Aaj ki Nari by Films Division of India in 1999.

BBC Radio World Service Program featured her as one of the Five Prominent Women Musicians of India in 1991.

Personal

Anuradha Pal resides in Mumbai. She teaches at Anuradha Pal's Tabla Academy [30] in Andheri (West) & Online through Skype.

Discography

She has several music albums & instructional DVDs to her credit, released through her own Music Label, Sur aaur Saaz [31] -

  • Passion by Anuradha Pal's Stree Shakti band [32]
  • Recharge Plus
  • Get Recharged!!!
  • Stree Shakti
  • Sensational & Sheer Magic - Live in Australia with Ustad Shahid Parvez
  • Anu - A Tabla Solo
  • Kesaria - Romancing Rajasthan with Manganiar Musicians
  • Nirvana - Spiritual Bliss
  • Jugalbandi with Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya
  • Raga Marwa/ Bhairavi - Ustad Sultan Khan and Anuradha Pal [33]
  • Learn Tabla Well DVDs 1 & 2
  • Jai Ganesh
  • EDM High Voltage single

References
  1. "Sur aaur Saaz Music Label, Events & Ideas!". www.suraaursaaz.com.
  2. http://www.hindustantimes.com/music/female-percusssionist-makes-zakir-proud/story-o5SRVsEVYADbrtbSRobFnM.html
  3. "Pandita Anuradha Pal's Showreel". Vimeo.
  4. Anuradha Pal (18 April 2015). "Anuradha Pal's Recharge Band - Live at Woodstock festival '08" – via YouTube.
  5. "Anuradha Pal's Recharge". www.anuradhapal.com.
  6. "Anuradha Pal - Brand Ambassador 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' in Sangli". Vimeo.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Interview with Anuradha Pal–a female Tabla Player". 3 June 2010.
  9. "REVIEWS OF PANDITA ANURADHA PAL - TABLA MAESTRO AND PERCUSSIONIST". www.anuradhapal.com.
  10. "New photo by raturitush". Google Photos.
  11. Anuradha Pal (22 December 2016). "Anuradha Pal with Legendary Indian Musicians" – via YouTube.
  12. Anuradha Pal (23 December 2016). "Jugalbandis with Young Maestros - Anuradha Pal" – via YouTube.
  13. Anuradha Pal (13 October 2015). "A.R. Rahman's Jai Ho - BOND and Anuradha Pal" – via YouTube.
  14. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 24 December 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. http://pibphoto.nic.in/documents/rlink/2017/mar/i20173609.jpg
  16. Anuradha Pal (3 August 2014). "M.F. Husain's Gaja Gamini - Background Score by Anuradha Pal" – via YouTube.
  17. "Workshops & Interactions (APTA)". Vimeo.
  18. NDR. "NDR Bigband feat. Anuradha Pal". www.ndr.de.
  19. Anuradha Pal (17 November 2017). "Anuradha Pal & NDR Bigband - Energy - India Week Hamburg 2017" – via YouTube.
  20. "LearnQuest - Academy of Music". tickets.learnquest.org.
  21. "An all women line up captivates audience at the Global Fusion". 29 January 2012.
  22. http://www.anuradhapal.com/TABLA%20_SOLO_JUGALBANDI.html
  23. Anuradha Pal (3 December 2013). "Anuradha Pal (Tappa Peshkar) in Tabla Jugalbandi with herself" – via YouTube.
  24. Anuradha Pal (13 July 2017). "Mother-Daughter Interaction - Anuradha Pal's 'Tabla Jugalbandi with herself'" – via YouTube.
  25. Anuradha Pal (17 June 2015). "Anuradha Pal presenting Shankara & Durga in Tabla Jugalbandi with herself" – via YouTube.
  26. "Anuradha Pal's Stree Shakti". www.anuradhapal.com.
  27. Anuradha Pal (4 February 2015). "Anuradha Pal's Stree Shakti in 1996 - India's First all-female Classical band" – via YouTube.
  28. "Meet Stree Shakti, India's first all-women classical band". 3 March 2016.
  29. "Collaborations". www.anuradhapal.com.
  30. "ANURADHA PAL's TABLA ACADEMY". www.anuradhapal.com.
  31. https://www.suraaursaaz.com%5B%5D
  32. "Buy Music". www.anuradhapal.com.
  33. "Ustad Sultan Khan, Anuradha Pal - Raga Marwa / Bhairavi". Discogs.
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