Recorded at Darbar on 17 Sep 2016, at London’s Southbank Centre

Musicians:
- Shubha Mudgal (khayal)
- Aneesh Pradhan (tabla)
- Sudhir Nayak (harmonium)
- Priya Sharma (tanpura)
- Seetal Dhadyalla (tanpura)

Raag Bhimpalasi; Thaat: Kafi; Samay: Afternoon

“My gurus...were all liberal thinkers and avid collectors of knowledge. They believed in learning from as many sources as possible.” (Shubha Mudgal)

Shubha Mudgal sings a distinct brand of of khayal. Born in Allahabad to two Professors of English Literature, her versatile style is the result of study with a wide range of gurus - notably Ramashreya Jha ‘Ramrang’, Vinaya Chandra Maudgalya, Vasant Thakar, Jitendra Abhisheki, Kumar Gandharva, and Naina Devi. Her markedly individual style fuses ideas from across North India, with long sustained notes balancing acrobatic melodising. She is known for her detailed lyrical study too, regularly singing poems by Sufi saints and medieval mystics, and has made brief but successful forays into pop music.

Renowned for a strong social conscience, Shubha is one of the most prominent advocates for improving the treatment of women in Indian classical music. She has supported various radical movements who push for a more equitable distribution of power and resources in Indian society. She has also served on various national education committees, and runs Underscore Records with her tabla-playing husband Aneesh Pradhan, aiming to give Indian artists control of their own catalogue.

Bhimpalasi is an afternoon raga, said to evoke sringara [attraction, romantic love]. It uses the notes of Kafi thaat, with an aroha [ascent] of nSgmPnS and an avroh [descent] of SnDPmgRS. Characteristically, Dha and Re only appear in the descending line, and tend to be approached from the notes immediately above. Ma is the vadi [king note]. It is similar in shape to the Western Dorian mode, and the closest Carnatic raga is Abheri.

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