Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Journalism of Courage
Premium
WHAM Festival: Celebrating legacy, contributions of India’s greatest women musicians in Bengaluru
The 3-week WHAM festival is being held at the Indian Music Experience Museum in Bengaluru and is set to go on until April 5.
Photograph of legendary musician Annapurna Devi. (Photo credit: Special Arrangement)
A three-week festival highlighting the legacy and contribution of women in Indian art, titled WHAM (Women’s history, art and music), has commenced at Bengaluru’s Indian Music Experience Museum and is set to go on until April 5.
The event began last Friday with a panel discussion on Annapurna Devi, one of the most important Hindustani classical musicians of the 20th century. An inaugural guided walk was also conducted at the museum, marking a permanent exhibit on the topic of Annapurna Devi (incidentally, the first new permanent exhibit since the museum was opened).
Regarding WHAM, which is now in its third edition, Museum Director Preema John said, “This year is the largest one so far…normally everyone thinks of Women’s Day in March, but it is also Women’s History Month around the world. Now, our intention is to create a community space for the average visitor to come in and experience and understand how much women artists and musicians have done for Indian music.”
She added, “The average visitor can expect to see musicians like Shubha Mudgal at the event, Ma Faiza – who is an electronic musician and DJ pioneering music in her own way. These are artists you might not normally see on the same stage coming together for the WHAM festival.”
A preliminary exhibit titled ‘Her Voice, Her Story’ had also been exhibited at Forum Mall and is now on display at Chowdiah Hall. The exhibit highlights the role of courtesans such as devadasis and tawaifs in contributing to music.
The director also noted the importance of highlighting figures such as Annapurna Devi. She said, “The idea for WHAM is also to correct some of the historical narratives and how they have been written so far….Annapurna Devi was one of those musicians who chose to stay away from the limelight but was a massive contributor to Hindustani music. She tutored some of the best musicians today, such as Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.”
Some of the various events and displays at the museum will include a Feminist Library Popup, film screenings, and workshops on subjects like the Chittara mural art of Karnataka.
Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Live Blog