These days, ‘Queen of Tabla’ Anuradha Pal is playing a different taal. Her instrumental composition, ‘Bharat Vandan’, released on the occasion of Republic Day, is an ode to India’s rich heritage, spirituality and other cultural practices. In it, the first female tabla player of India combines the piano, sarod, and the tabla to present the diversity that makes the country special. Available on her YouTube channel and music streaming platforms, this acclaimed percussion artiste’s robust bols are played to the Vande Mataram tune.
Next on the cards for the Mumbai-born tabla virtuoso is her solo album Taaleem set for release in February. When the pandemic slowed the world down, Pal kept herself busy through various initiatives. “I instituted the Padma Shri MT Vyas Stree Shakti Award in memory of my maternal grandfather last year (a renowned educationist). It is to encourage and reward young girls who excel in music/dance and also altruistically perform inspirational social service,” she says. The online award function was well-received and attended by many prominent people, including former top cop Kiran Bedi, singer Usha Uthup, Bhajan singer Anup Jalota and fashion designer Shaina NC.
A fierce advocate of female empowerment, she is the ambassador of the government’s ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ programme and has worked with the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare. Pal’s notes with social causes are as vivid as her musical skills. She launched Stree Shakti Urja after the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020. The focus was to donate monthly ration, blankets and medicines to the needy and she helped 270 families. She also donated wheelchairs, walkers, gloves, and other medical supplies to Covid facilities in Mumbai.
The tabla maestro, who started performing in the early 90s, dons many hats. She has helmed three different bands over the years, including Stree Shakti for classical music, Recharge for fusion and SuFoRe which mixed Sufi with folk and classical styles. Daughter of Ila Pal, a well-known painter and Ghazal singer, she has trained under legends such Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain from whom she learnt the six gharanas of the tabla and Carnatic tala shastra. Over the last few decades, she has made a name for herself through various musical experiments. A popular creation is the ‘Tabla Jugalbandi’ that she does with herself. She has also collaborated with artists for films, documentaries and music albums. Not many would know that she had composed the background score for late MF Hussain’s movie Gaja Gamini.
Pal takes her self-appointed role as a cultural advocate seriously. “I am excited about my collaborations with Indian and world musicians (flautist Hari Prasad Chaurasia, thumri singer Girija Devi, German band NDR Bigband, among others), and I believe I’m in a unique position to provide the much-needed impetus to our music and culture by partnering with important institutions and government bodies,” she says, adding, “These channels act as key to disseminate information which helps in developing a deeper understanding and respect for Indian cultural arts, which is especially relevant in these uncertain times.”
In perfect harmony with cultural beats.