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Journalism of Courage
Anuradha Pals wavy locks reverberate to the movements of her lively fingers while she creates a fast rhythm on the tabla. Her occasional head banging movements are reminiscent of her guru Ustad Zakir Hussain. Pal,33,is one of the worlds few female,professional,tabla players and she says this description always makes her laugh. I discovered the tabla entirely by accident,when I started learning vocal classical music at age seven, says Pal. Sometimes its flattering that Im a rarity,being a female tabla player, she acknowledges wryly,But I want to be known for my skill. Pal is well on her way to doing just that. After becoming a tabla maestro,Pal is now playing multiple instruments with her band,Recharge,in her latest album also called Recharge. Shes experimented with the flute,sarangi,piano and sitar. Its a thoughtful and energising blend of music, says Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. Meanwhile,Pandit Jasraj,whom Pal has accompanied on many performances calls her a very accomplished player. We dont think of her as a female player. Shes as good as the best there is, says Pandit Jasraj.
The seven-track album has tracks like Energy,which has Pal mixing the tabla with the piano,giving the entire track a jazz feel with Indian beats. Others combine African percussion instruments like the congo with the sitar and flute.
Pal hasnt dabbled with film music,besides M F Husains offbeat Gaja Gamini for which she composed the background store. Currently,Pal has been invited to perform at the prestigious Woodstock Music festival in Europe in August. Beat that.
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