Hindustani classical vocalist Rumi Harish is breaking down gender barriers

One of the most watched videos from an India Foundation for the Arts event is one in which Harish sings 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' with all the grand and subtle notes that define Hindustani music

Soon after a concert at an upmarket venue in Bengaluru, patrons of Hindustani classical music thronged Rumi Harish to tell him how much they enjoyed an evening marked with ragas such as Puriya and Kamod. One elderly connoisseur added, “It would have been better if you had performed in a sari.” Harish wore a kurta to the event; he hasn’t worn saris for a long time.  

“Why should it matter what I wear?” asks Harish. “What matters is how you perform. It takes years to arrive at this understanding because everything is so gendered,” says the Bengaluru-based Hindustani classical vocalist.