Don't forget artistes beyond film, indie music: Shubha Mudgal

Celebrated classical vocalist Shubha Mudgal on Monday urged the music community to pay attention to genres and artistes beyond the film and independent music scenario in the country.

Mudgal, known for her power-packed voice, stressed on the need to focus on artistes from special genres like classical, ghazals and qawwali, saying that they should get equal opportunities to get exposure.

At All About Music, a two-day conference on various aspects of the music business here, Mudgal said: "We must not forget about the fact that apart from film and independent music, there are various genres of music and musicians who are contributing to the bigger canvas of Indian music.

 

"They do not have the so-called 'marketing sense' and, therefore, they remain ignored and voiceless."

She cited the example of qawwali, ghazal, Hindustani classical and Carnatic musicians who are trained for years and specialise in a certain kind of musical genre.

"I think these genres are contributing to Indian music and are a crucial part of independent music scenario, but that is not even taken into consideration. These artistes do not know how to project their talent for marketing and how to pitch to the music distributors," Mudgal rued.

Asked about why they don't reach out to the music labels, the "Ab Ke Sawan" famed singer said: "That is more tragic. These artistes go to different music labels for distribution of their music and they are told to change the style and upgrade their sound by adding some guitars and drums.

"Well, I think fusing different styles is no crime and it should be encouraged. But to cut out those artistes who do not want that by saying there is no platform to that, is tragic."

Mudgal had in 2003 created a music label along with her husband to distribute the work of independent musicians.

"We created a platform called underscorerecords.com where we are providing a platform to a simple distribution of music of those artists."

--IANS

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