‘Singing is like breathing’

Renowned vocalist Vidya Shah spoke to Tribune News Service about her love for music, the evolving music scene in Punjab, and the future of classical traditions in the region.

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1. Why do you sing?

It’s like breathing. I feel immersed in it, in ways I’m not aware of. It makes me happy. Content.

2. What brings you to Ludhiana?

I am here to perform at the first edition of the Jashn-e-Adab festival. A platform that celebrates music and poetry.

3. Have you performed in Punjab before? What do you think of the music scene in Punjab today?

Yes I have. Punjab has such an incredible history of traditional music - Classical, Folk, spiritual. Patiala gharana is still very much a part of the khayal world. Great Ustads like Bade Ghulam Ali Khan saheb to the younger generation Diva, Kaushik Chakraborty are all from this gharana. In fact even Begum Akhtar’s initial training was in this gharana! It is also home to one of the oldest and most celebrated festivals, the Harvallabh, which is still held in Jalandhar. There are many venues now becoming centres for music festivals — Patiala, for instance.

4. Do you feel Punjabis are more interested in Diljit Dosanjh today than in Bade Ghulam Ali Khan?

Diljit is a phenomenon and has arrived at a different time. So, it would be unfair to make comparisons. Khan Saheb has given us beautiful, mellifluous singing that will remain with us for a long time. The explosion of the digital world into the lives of young people has made the world smaller. It’s all about creating opportunities for exposure. Clichéd though it may sound, eventually, it’s about incorporating these ideas into a formal education system. It needs to be pulled out of the ‘co-curricular’ space and into the main syllabus. As long as patrons view culture merely as “entertainment,” there will be a problem. It will lose its purpose. For instance, it pains me when I hear a powerful phrase like “bahut kathin hai dagar panghat ki” aimlessly thrown into an item song!

5. What should Punjab do to make classical music a people’s movement?

I think we live in a time where people are finding more pride and connect with their own culture. Gujarati’s are very proud of the Garba, Bengali of their Durga Puja and Punjabis of their presence in pop culture. So I see a window here - to showcase for young people the tremendous presence of other traditions in Punjab as well. Yesterday for instance, I heard some amazing young Sarangi players from Bhaini Saheb. How many young people know that some of the foot-tapping Qawwalis they listen to can be attributed to their own Baba Bulle Shah? Perhaps we could use online spaces more effectively and even find CSR funding from industrialists here to support this cause, this movement!