Abolish caste system in the music industry

Hindustani vocalist Shubha Mudgal's music expo, Baajaa Gaajaa will be a one-stop-shop for indie musicians, record labels, artist managers and music lovers to explore new genres, and meet likeminded people, finds Bhairavi Jhaveri

When Hindustani classical exponent Shubha Mudgal and her husband, tabla player Anish Pradhan incubated the idea for an expo at this large a scale, they never envisioned it coming through in reality, as would so many other craftsmen and music lovers who want to stir things up for the sake of good music. As Mudgal talks about showcasing indie artists who are making music other than mainstream, you realise it takes a lot more than just a great idea to fight against the norm of a nation where Bollywood equals success.

It's the right time to showcase the parallel music industry

Mudgal and Pradhan established Underscore Records Pvt. Ltd. five years ago with the hope to diversify the Indian music industry, and have since worked with and published numerous indie artists in India. The couple sensed a need for a consolidated effort, where all such artists could come together, instead of allowing them to continue working in isolation. "We want to do away with the boundaries and caste system that exists in the music industry," says Mudgal. "...Imagine a DJ jamming with a Hindustani wedding shehnai band that's the type of outcome we are looking for, through this debut effort." And by diverse, Mudgal clarifies that she doesn't mean classical or fusion, alone. "From Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and rock acts, to Pune's Suprabhat band that plays at weddings and festivals, and multimedia agencies that create Indian classical sound samples, Baajaa Gaajaa will acknowledge, with respect, the role each of these plays in the field of music."

Can the indie industry go retail?

It definitely helps that Mudgal is tech-savvy, and even has her own account on free social messaging utility, Twitter. Her avid interest in the online world is helping her foresee needs and demands, and put to use the outcome of this extravagant gala. "So far most of us (artists) don't have the resources to retail, except online. Through the expo, I want to see if we can we put our heads together and launch at least one such store in some part of India." Licensing is another facet, Baajaa Gaajaa wants to address. "For all those looking for music samples to club with a variety of presentations and writing pieces, for instance, we could devise an online medium where indie music samples can be bought."u00a0

The 3-day expo scheduled between February 6 and 8 in Pune, will be far from static. "That would be a pity," believes Mudgal. Besides specially-curated performances (7 pm to 10 pm), interactive workshops, seminars, and discussions, music-based documentaries, and a comfortable vibe that will permit freewheeling mingling, will decide the scope of the event.

Sufi musician Rabbi Shergill's audio engineer, KJ Singh will clear doubts and answer queries that students may have. Finance consultants will hold a discussion on the importance of insurance plans for musicians, and a curated discussion will see journalists, event managers address the topic of challenges faced by media in the music industry. "Director Jaideep Verma's non-fiction rock 'n' roll film on the group Indian Ocean titled, Leaving Home, will also be screened at the event," adds Mudgal. The impromptu performances (4.30 pm to 6 pm) held in the open areas of the venue will be an interesting meeting point, allowing musicians of varied backgrounds
to jam.

Baajaa Gaajaa is free-for-all event and will be held at Ishanya, Pune from February 6 to 8. Passes for specially curated performances will be distributed on February 1 in Pune. For any queries, leave a comment on the website. For the complete schedule, log onto www.baajaagaajaa.com

Naresh + Paresh gang, Allisha Batth, Anushka, Ankur Tewari, Tough on Tobacco, Zero, Karsh Kale and Midival Punditz were part of the launch parties in Mumbai and Delhi.