| Anuradha Pal | |
| Origin: | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Instrument: | Tabla, Multi Percussion |
| Genre: | Hindustani classical music, World music, Percussion |
| Occupation: | Musician, Music Composer, Tabla Virtuoso |
| Label: | Sur aaur Saaz |
Anuradha Pal is a Tabla virtuoso, multi-percussionist and music composer who is acclaimed as the first professional female tabla player in the world by Encyclopedia Britannica and the Limca Book of Records.[1]
Her story is one of courage, fortitude, commitment and creativity. She ‘stormed the male bastion of Indian Rhythm’ (Sunday Observer 1996) as a child prodigy when barely nine years old. Countering unfair chauvinism, discrimination and politics with rigorous study, focused riyaaz, hard work and grit, first-generation Musician Anuradha Pal established herself as a ‘colossus on the percussion firmament and a trendsetter’ (Tribune 2009).[2]
She founded the first ever all-female Indian Classical music band, Stree Shakti in 1996 to provide a platform to other deserving women.[3]
She is empanelled as an Outstanding category musician with Ministry of Culture & Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Top graded Vidushi of All India Radio[4] and is revered globally for her superb tonal quality, complimenting musicality and pinpoint rhythmic artistry, founded on over 25 years of rigorous training. Anuradha is also appreciated for her fresh perspective and knowledge of 6 gharanas of Tabla,[5] her sensitive and thoughtful accompaniment[6] with leading masters of Hindustani and Carnatic music and International collaborations[7] with World music, dance, poetry, painting etc.
Brand ambassador of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Anuradha has been hailed as 'Bharat ki Laxmi',[8] ‘Rhythm Queen’,[9] 'Percussionist par excellence', ‘Tabla phenomenon’ (India Today 2000), a ‘Trailblazer, trendsetter and Torchbearer', ‘the most influential woman in Indian Music (A.V. Max Magazine 2001), ‘National pride and inspiration’ (Tribune 2012), prominent Torchbearer of Indian Classical Music,[10] and a ‘Woman of Pure Wonder’ for empowering other girls and changing society's perception. (Sahara Times 2004).
Lauded as a female empowerment icon, Anuradha has several trendsetting firsts - musical and social contributions - to her credit.
Anuradha Pal was born in Mumbai to pharmaceutical doyen, Devinder Pal and painter-writer Ila Pal.[11] She is a Ganda Bandhan shagird of Ustad Alla Rakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain[12] of the Punjab Gharana.
A child prodigy, she gave her first performance for Doordarshan at the age of 9 years.[13] With her work incredible Tayyari, Layakari and immaculate presentation[14] she was described as the Lady Zakir Hussain by Maharashtra Times, when she was just seventeen.[15]
She is acknowledged as ‘first professional female Tabla player in the World’ in Limca Book of Records 1991.
Anuradha's recent performance at the Dior Fall 2023 show[16] at the Gateway of India in Mumbai, left audiences in awe, with her masterful Tabla & Multi-percussion performance, weaving magic, presenting a unique east-west musical Live conversation with fashion for the first time![17] [18]
In January 2018 she was awarded with the prestigious Ministry of WCD First Ladies Award [19] by the President of India for being the first and youngest female Indian musician to perform at the world famous WOMAD[20] and Woodstock Festivals.[21] for 150,000 and 400,000 fans respectively.
She composed the background score for M. F. Husain's film Gaja Gamini,[22] using only her Tabla and voice, which was appreciated as ‘innovative and evocative’ at the Cannes Film festival, 1999. She has also composed music for NGMA, short films, documentaries, theatre and other commissioned work and events.
She first performed with her Gurus when she was just 15 years old and has been accompanying master Hindustani and Carnatic Classical vocalists, instrumentalists and dancers,[23] as well as young maestros[24] since she was 13. In 2018, she led a possible World record 217 Tabla players [25] on one stage, to pay tribute to her Guru, Ustad Alla Rakha in celebration of his birth centenary.
She created the first Instructional Tabla training Video DVD modules in 2003, which became extremely popular, making her a trendsetter in online music education.
She has performed for dignitaries like Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam,[26] Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Sushma Swaraj,[27] Smriti Irani, Maneka Gandhi & Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore[28] as well as the Queens of England and Thailand.
She has conducted Lecture Demonstrations and workshops at Harvard University, Berklee College of Music, M.I.T (USA), Vienna Boys Choir, Palazzo Ducale (Italy), MilapFest (U.K), Monash University (Australia) and was invited as an artist-in-residence by the New England Conservatory of Music in 2006.[29]
She contributed in the research for the books 'Relationship between Music, Language & the Brain'[30] at Neurosciences University, San Diego and 'Study of Tabla, Aesthetics & Complexities' at the Harvard Science Centre.
As an inspirational orator, she has given TED Talks in Goa, Mumbai,[31] Baroda and delivered inspirational presentations at IIT Mumbai, BITS Pilani,[32] NMIMS, ITA,[33] CCRT, Rotary Club and Lions Club in India.
She represented India at the Asian Performer's Summit in Japan in 1999.
She has been lauded by Encyclopaedia Britannica for ‘her well balanced musicianship and pioneering contribution as a trailblazer and trendsetter around the world’.
USA - Masters of Indian Music Festival, Young Music Wizards of India, Asia Society, Ali Akbar Khan Festival, Basant Bahar Festival, MITHAS, Learnquest Music Festival.[34]
UK - WOMAD (Reading), Bath International Music festival, MilapFest, Commonwealth Games Festival, City of London Festival, Asian Music Festival, Rhythm Sticks Festival, Greenwich & Docklands Festival, Darbar Festival, Cardiff Jazz Festival, BBC Music Live Festival (Scotland).
EUROPE - Woodstock Festival (Poland), Voices of the World Festival (Denmark), Sangam Indian Music Festival (Germany), Museum Rietberg (Switzerland), Festival Musicale del Mediterraneo (Italy), Theatre de la Ville (France), Night of the Virtuosos Festival (Reunion Islands), Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre, University of Esztergom (Hungary), The Music Academy, Zadar Puppet Theatre, Croatian National Theatre (Croatia), Madlenianum Opera and Theatre (Serbia).
ASIA - Global Fusion Festival (Dubai),[35] Vrindavan Festival (Hong Kong), Bangkok International Music Festival (Thailand), Victoria Arts Hall (Singapore), Tokyo Music festival, Phoenix Music Festival (Japan).
AFRICA - Night of the Virtuosos Festival (Mauritius), CHOGM Summit (Nigeria).
AUSTRALIA/ NEW ZEALAND - Bellingen Global Carnival, Carnevale Festival, Queensland Performing Arts Complex, The Octagon.
INDIA - IIT 'Mood Indigo’, IIT Roots, Elephanta & Banganga Festivals, P.L. Deshpande Festival, Kala Ghoda Festival, Gunidas Sammelan, Mumbai Sanskruti Festival (Mumbai), Ajanta Ellora Festival, Vasantrao Deshpande Festival, Kalidas Samaroh, Ganesh Utsav, Swara Malhar Festival, Sanskruti Arts Festival, Tabla Samaroh, AIR Silver Jubilee Celebrations, Bal Gandharva Utsav, Sangeet Shankar Darbar (Maharashtra).
Delhi Classical Music Festival, Sriram Shankarlal Festival, INTACH, Parampara Festival, Spirit of Unity Concerts, Vishnu Digambar Jayanti Samaroh, Dilli Durbar, Ustad Chand Khan Samaroh, DD National (Tejaswini 100th Episode), Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyalaya, Bhairav Se Sohni Sammelan, Guru Bholanath Festival (New Delhi).
Sankat Mochan Mahotsav, Kanthe Maharaj Samaroh, Ganga Mahotsav, Budhwa Mangal Samaroh, Kala Academy, Subah-e-Benaras, Akashwani Sangeet Sammelan, Vrindavan Sangeet Samaroh (Uttar Pradesh).
Saptak Festival, Naada Festival, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot, Valsad (Gujarat).
Dover Lane Music Conference, Salt Lake Music Festival, Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra, Sangeet Piyasi, Tagore Centre, ITC SRA (West Bengal).
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav, Bhopal Utsav, Hriday Drishyam, Bharat Bhavan, Kumar Gandharva Samaroh, Raag Amir, Ameer Khan Samaroh, Alauddin Khan Samaroh, Kalidas Samaroh, Simhasth Kumbh, Utsav Mahakaleshwar, Tansen Samaroh, Malwa Utsav (Madhya Pradesh).
Malleshwaram Sabha, Gururao Deshpande, Chowdiah Hall, Handshake Concert, Bridging Cultures, Shimoga Ramnavami Festival, Hampi Utsav, Rani Chennamma Festival, Karkala Festival, REC Surathkal, Megh Sandhya, Sthree Swarangini Mangalore (Karnataka).
North Eastern States : Handshake Concert Kohima, Sangeet Nritya Mahotsav Imphal, SPICMACAY(Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland & Manipur), Sanskriti School Guwahati.
ICCR Horizon Series, Jawahar Kala Kendra Jaipur, BITS Pilani, SNA Festival (Jodhpur, Kota), Maharana Kumbha Samaroh, Sacred Spirit Festival, Shilpgram, Maharana Mewar Foundation (Rajasthan); besides various other performances across 23 Indian states.
OTHER - Festival of India (Brazil), Festival Musique Multi Montreal (Canada)
By specially composing rhythm based creations like Krishna Ke Taal, Ramayan on Tabla, Ardhanarishwari and interactive Tablas Sing Stories, Anuradha has redefined expression through percussion, in her dedicated efforts to increase appreciation and understanding of Tabla and percussion for over 20 years. Some of her musical innovations include -
Anuradha has been promoting other female musicians struggling in male dominated fields, thus through her band Stree Shakti, for over 25 years.[46]
She has performed at Sri Agrasen Kanya PG College (Varanasi),[47] Rebel Girls Interactive (Delhi),[48] Ruia College (Mumbai) to inspire young girls towards self-empowerment and building self-esteem.
She wrote the lyrics ‘Khud ko tu Pehchaan de’ and composed the anthem for Ministry of Women and Child Development's Nari Shakti campaign in March 2018.
For her contributions, she was appointed the Brand Ambassador of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's Beti Bachao Beti Padhao yojana in 2017.[49]
She was also the UNICEF Brand Ambassador for female empowerment, education and inclusion in 2006.
During the covid pandemic, Anuradha distributed warm blankets to over 200 women in Kasniyawad village near Udaipur and provided medical relief to poor children & women from the Bhil community,[50] under her Stree Shakti URJA initiative. She also provided food rations to over 100 marginalised, widowed, old, disabled and destitute women across 12 villages.
On International Day of the Girl child 2020, Anuradha instituted the Padmashri M.T. Vyas Stree Shakti award, in memory of her grandfather and well-known educationist Maganlal Tribhuvandas Vyas, to encourage young girls practicing Indian music or dance towards social service. The award was presented in a grand online function, where the book ‘The Teacher and the Taught’ written by M.T. Vyas and edited by Ila Pal was released by then Union Education minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in the presence of various luminaries from the fields of Culture, Music, Film and the Arts. The award also carried a Kisan Vikas Patra (to benefit poor farmers of India in the long term) from Jackie Shroff.[51]
Anuradha Pal Cultural Foundation (APCF) is a non-profit company dedicated to preserving traditional Indian culture, empowering women & youth, promoting unity amidst diversity & environmental awareness. Anuradha Pal channels her foundation APCF to conceptualise and curate ‘Wellness Experiences’ – by presenting a unique, holistic approach to elevate the five senses and achieve a healthy mind, body and soul, by using the therapeutic benefits of Musical and Rhythmic Meditation.[52] [53]
APCF’s flagship socio-cultural initiatives 1) Positive Weekends™ & 2) Workshops of Wellness (WOW) have already benefited over 2500 adults and 8000 children, towards wellness and positivity.
In recognition of APCFs commitment & contributions to music and society, director Anuradha Pal received the Mumbai Cultural Sustainability award 2024 from Vivekanand Youth Foundation and the WOW Iconic Award 2023.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, Anuradha distributed Rs. 10 lakh among 350 poor musicians and instrument makers and sent food ration and blankets to 270 disadvantaged, old and disabled women and children [54] in villages across 20 states of India - Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.[55]
From July 2020 onwards, Anuradha sent financial help directly to bank accounts of beneficiaries from underprivileged communities like Bhil, Manganiar, Lakha, Jogi, Garo, Kathodi, Koch-Rajbongshi, Dhadi tribes, Meghwal, Charkula, Ponung, Matka Bhawai, Terahtali, Kalbeliya dancers, Manta Drummers, Kathputli artists, Knife jugglers and Bahurupiyas.[56]
In January 2021, she organised ‘Aatmanirbhar Kala Ke Sangh Music Festival' and gave opportunity to 25 marginalized Folk and Classical musicians from 9 states to perform online and monetize their art.
On her birthday on 8 May 2021, Anuradha and her husband donated a wheel chair, walker and over 1200 gloves and masks to patients, doctors and frontline workers in Mumbai’s BMC Covid care centre and MLC offices, in the presence of the Mayor of Mumbai, Smt Kishori Pednekar.[57]
Anuradha Pal is a recipient 108 prestigious awards and citations. Some of the prominent awards received by her -
| Year | Award Name | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | All India Youth Festival Gold Medal | AIU at IIT, Roorkee |
| 1990 | Taal Mani | Sur Singar Samsad, Mumbai |
| 1993 | Mahakal Samman | Mahakaleshwar Samiti, Ujjain |
| 1995 | Vocational Excellence award | Rotary Club, Mumbai |
| 1997 | Taal Ratna | Bhatkhande Lalitkala Shiksha Samiti |
| 1999 | Best Musician Award | Pandit Jasraj |
| 2006 | Sanskrutic Puraskar | Government of Maharashtra |
| 2007 | Zee Astitva Award | Zee Network |
| 2009 | Star Taal Award | Star TV |
| 2010 | Excellence Award | Festival Musique Multi-Montreal, Canada |
| 2011 | Adwitiya Stree Shakti Puraskar | Kalidas Academy, Ujjain |
| 2011 | Malva Taal Shiromani Samman | Malva Rang Manch Samiti |
| 2013 | Dagar Gharana Samman | HRH Arvind Singh Mewar |
| 2014 | Fempowerment Award | Molecule Communications |
| 2015 | Women Achievers' Award | Young Environmentalists |
| 2016 | All India Radio/ Doordarshan Top Grade | Prasar Bharati, New Delhi |
| 2016 | Woman of Excellence Award | FICCI FLO Ahmedabad |
| 2017 | Rotary Vocational Appreciation Award | Rotary Club of Bombay West |
| 2017 | Surabhi Award | Aashirwad Foundation |
| 2017 | Women's Achiever's Award | Inner Wheel Club of Bombay Airport |
| 2018 | First Ladies Award | Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India |
| 2018 | Femina Women Super Achiever Award | Femina & World HRD Congress |
| 2018 | Excellence Award for Women | Malayala Manorama & Swasthi Foundation |
| 2018 | Maharana Kumbha Samman | Maharana Kumbha Sangeet Parishad |
| 2018 | Vagadhara Navratna Samman | Vagadhara & Murarka Foundation |
| 2019 | Taal Brahmavaadini | Shrikshetra Kala Prakashika, Puri |
| 2019 | Makhan Lal Haldar Memorial Award | Shrikshetra Kala Prakashika, Odisha |
| 2020 | Best Female Tabla player award | Kashmir to Kerala Social Foundation |
| 2020 | Kishori Amonkar Saraswati Sadhana Samman | Kalashraya Society |
| 2021 | Global Woman of Worth Achievers Award | CMO Global |
| 2021 | Dr. Sarojini Naidu International Award | Marwah Studios, AAFT and ICMEI |
| 2022 | Pillar of Hindustani Society | Trans Asian Chamber of Commerce & Industry |
| 2022 | Kartittvavan Mahila Puraskar | Maharashtra Rajya Shikshak Parishad |
| 2022 | Nari Shakti Samman | Aakriti Art Foundation, Mumbai |
| 2022 | International Inspirational Woman Award | GISR Foundation, Hyderabad |
| 2022 | Swaradhiraj Samman | Kalashray Sanskritik evam Samajik Sanstha, Dehradun |
| 2023 | Global Women Leaders Award | Women Leadership Congress |
| 2023 | Most innovative storytellers award | World Storytelling Congress |
| 2023 | She Slays Champion award | Hindustan Times |
| 2023 | WOW iconic wellness and spiritual award | WOW Digital Media and Entertainment |
| 2024 | Mumbai Cultural Sustainability Award | Vivekanand Youth Foundation |
| 2024 | Gyan Srajan Excellence Award | Srajan - The Spark |
| 2024 | Shakti Award (Performing Arts) | Rotary Club of Bombay (SOBO) |
Featured as one of 51 women achievers of India in children's book
Featured as one of the pre-eminent Torchbearers of Indian Classical Music in a book released in 2017 along with other young maestros like Mandolin U. Srinivas, Shankar Mahadevan, Kaushiki Chakraborty, amongst many others.[59]
Featured as a Woman of Pure Wonder in a book by Vodafone Foundation in 2016 along with Justice Leila Seth, Sanjana Kapoor, Shovana Narayan, Deepa Malik, amongst various other women achievers.[60]
Featured on Polish TV's major European channel as Asia's Youth Icon in 2008.
Featured in Documentary Gender Bender on women who have excelled & broken barriers in male dominated fields in 2006.
Featured in a film titled Woman of Substance by Doordarshan National Archives in 2006.
Featured in a documentary titled All About Her on Times Now channel in 2004.
Featured in the film Adventure Divas by the American Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) as one of the great women achievers of India and the World in 2001.[61]
BBC World Service broadcast Anuradha Pal's Stree Shakti LIVE at WOMAD Festival in 56 countries in 1999.
Featured in the documentary titled Aaj ki Nari by Films Division of India in 1999.
BBC Radio World Service Program featured her as one of the Five Prominent Women Musicians of India in 1991.
Anuradha Pal resides in Mumbai. She conducts personalised and online percussion classes at Anuradha Pal Cultural Academy (APCA Mumbai) [62] in Juhu.
She has several music albums & instructional DVDs to her credit, most of which are released through her own Music Label, Sur aaur Saaz -
