About
Vidya Shah is a New Delhi-based musician, singer and writer. Trained first in Carnatic music from the age of twelve, she moved to Hindustani music, learning khayal from Shubha Mudgal and thumri, dadra and ghazal from Shanti Hiranand, a disciple of Begum Akhtar. Her repertoire is rich in Sufi and Bhakti music alongside the semi-classical forms.
Shah is best known for Women on Record, a research-based performance and exhibition project that recovers the stories of the courtesans and early women recording artists of the gramophone era, and for her related book Jalsa. She performs thumri, dadra and ghazal at festivals in India and abroad, and gives lecture-demonstrations that weave music with the social history of these traditions.
The artistry
Shah sings thumri, dadra and ghazal with a classically grounded voice and a strong feel for Sufi and Bhakti repertoire. Her performances are often narrative and research-led, blending song with the social history of the music.
Shah offers a host a semi-classical recital or the acclaimed Women on Record programme, which pairs performance with a powerful narrative of women in music. Strong for heritage, gender and cultural-history programming. [Atlas Assessment]
A singer-researcher who has restored the erased histories of India's early women recording artists to public memory.