On a different note

Women singers and composers feel the exclusion is due to the deep-seated conservatism of our mindset. “Our culture does not encourage women to express themselves and this is also applicable to the field of arts. Only education and equal opportunity can make this happen. That time seems to be around the corner,so I expect to see more women composers,songwriters and singers emerge,” says singer-composer Sona Mohapatra.

“We are still a male dominated industry and let men call the shots,” says singer-composer Shibani Kashyap,who has composed music for The Great Indian Butterfly. It is a gender driven space and a woman’s role is premeditated and defined,she adds. “The attitude is they can be excellent singers,but not composers,” she says,though she is beginning to discern a ray of hope. “For example,instead of describing me as a singer,my role as a singer-composer is being acknowledged now,” she says.

Akriti Kakkar,who was in town recently to release her album Akriti,points out that singles sung by women are also hard to come by. “One out of 50 maybe,otherwise it is mostly duets. As for being a composer,one needs constant push,encouragement and practice,” she says.

“If you ask me,it is a matter of chance,luck and confidence,” says actress Tannishtha Chatterjee who has sung for her films and has composed for Road,Movie. “The script did not mention it but Dev Benegal,the director knew me from my girl band days and asked me to sing,which I did live while shooting. I composed the song by borrowing tunes from Rajasthani folk music which has stayed with me since childhood,” she says,adding that she enjoyed her experience as the director gave her the space to realise herself.

“One has to take into account a lot of things to understand why women music composers have not made it big in the commercial mainstream,” says singer Shubha Mudgal. “The pace,erratic hours,the painfully long recording sessions,deadlines — all these factors have to be taken into account.

Although I don’t see why any lady would shy away from the commitment,it is a fact that music has been dominated by men. Women like Gauhar Jaan have composed for years,but it is still not easy to stand in front of a group of 60 men staring at you while they play,” she says. Mudgal goes on to describe the early years of live orchestra recording when there were endless rehearsals and long hours in a men-only domain. “They can be lecherous and mischievous and needle you. Actually,our society still hasn’t become used to the fact that a woman can balance home and profession. In a way,working women are still looked down upon in certain sections of the society,” she says.

Singer-composer Ila Arun offers an interesting insight,pointing out that women often compose music for parallel cinema. “I have composed for Shyam Benegal’s films,for my albums,for Govind Nihalani’s Rukmawati Ki Haveli,for children’s films and documentaries but these are not counted as mainstream. The general thought process is that women are only good at singing. But women are also exceling as directors,choreographers and editors. It is time they get a chance as composers too,” she sums up.