The WHAM (Women’s History, Art and Music) Festival at the Indian Music Experience Museum wrapped up on March 25, featuring performances from renowned Hindustani classical artist Shubha Mudgal and electronic music trailblazer Ma Faiza.
Entering its third iteration, the festival introduced a permanent exhibit honoring Annapurna Devi, a pivotal figure in Hindustani classical music, as part of the museum’s ongoing efforts to celebrate women’s contributions to the arts.
The three-week event showcased a variety of activities, including a Feminist Library Popup, film screenings, and workshops focusing on topics such as Karnataka’s Chittara mural art. The final days highlighted a diverse array of Indian musical traditions, featuring performances of songs from Nagaland’s rice farmers and a fusion of hip-hop with Kumaoni folk music.
During the festival, Mudgal delivered a performance themed ‘Women, Sexuality and Song’, incorporating several pieces from the late Mughal period, sung in dialects like Braj Bhasha. “It’s intriguing to note that the works of women poets weren’t published as frequently… The affluent elite primarily focused on publishing their own poetry collections, leaving few opportunities for women poets, unless they belonged to a privileged background,” Mudgal remarked following her performance. She also mentioned a notable woman poet named Sheikh Rangrejan, who was a dyer by trade and composed exquisite poetry.
Preema John, the museum’s director, remarked to The Indian Express, “This program featuring Shubha ji has been presented elsewhere, but it’s a first for Bengaluru… It aligns perfectly with the WHAM theme. We also had a group of Kumaoni women performing folk songs alongside rapper Kranti Naari and percussionist Charu Hariharan.”
The festival culminated on Sunday with a performance by the esteemed DJ and LGBTQ+ advocate Ma Faiza, a foundational figure in Goa’s electronic music scene. John noted, “WHAM brings forth various themes and feelings related to issues such as discrimination and marginalization, yet there’s a profound sense of hope. We discussed curating a set that would encapsulate these emotions while also providing a triumphant finale.”
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