Composed and penned by relatively unknown Satish Sharma, Shubha Mudgal’s new album "Nacho Sari Sari Raat", endeavors to catch the festive mood.
"One doesn't need an excuse to dance all night," says the singer, adding that in her latest album, she had tried to combine the essence of Rajasthani folk music with the spirit of World music. But is she going to dance to her own? "I don't want another earthquake in this country," Shubha, who considers laughing at herself the biggest plus point, replies.
And that is Shubha Mudgal. Honest, candid and always vigorous. Born in Allahabad, "300 per cent UP-ite" Shubha comes from a family of academicians. According to Shubha it's her parents, who were the professors in Allahabad University, who encouraged her to take a music career. "In those days, for a girl taking music as a profession was not easy but they always supported me." And that's why her father's death is the saddest moment in her life.
Started as a classical singer, Shubha got her first break in the popular music industry in 1996. Composer Jawahar Wattal, who is a friend, told Shubha that he wants to re-record her Sufi songs with some additional modern instruments. "For a moment I thought what's wrong with him," remembers Shubha, "but in the end people liked it."
Even though she is probably the most respected popular musician in the country, Shubha still likes to call herself a practitioner of Indian classical music. "I get annoyed when people say that I have left classical music and got into pop music. Pop music is popular music that appeal to a lot of people," she opines. Which is something even her Guru approves. "After listening to my songs he wrote to me and told that I am in the right direction," she says proudly.
But there is an obvious difference between the music of Shubha and thousands of others in the business. For instance her previous album "Maan ke Manjire", was about the struggle of a Gujarati lady truck driver called Shamim Pathan. Is she also an independent person like Shamim? "Yes," replies Shubha, "but not a feminist."
A complete family person who loves taking care of her husband and children, Shubha loves buying saris, traveling and eating mithais. An admirer of Allahabadi Amitabh Bachchan's acting ability, one of Shubha's favorite musicians is late Ustad Fateh Ali Khan.
Composed and penned by relatively unknown Satish Sharma, Shubha Mudgal’s new album "Nacho Sari Sari Raat", endeavors to catch the festive mood. 