Anuradha PalIf the male synonym for Tabla is Zakir Hussain, then the female equivalent has to undeniably be Anuradha Pal. – Hindustan Times, 2011
One of India’s leading and most innovative percussionists and composers (according to the Bangkok post), Anuradha Pal is a President awardee of the prestigious First Ladies award an Outstanding category musician of Ministry of culture, ICCR and a Top graded Vidushi of Prasar Bharati. Anuradha Pal is internationally acclaimed as the First female professional Tabla maestro in the world and is accredited as an outstanding torchbearer of Indian music & Punjab Gharana.
Anuradha has been enthralling audiences worldwide with her diverse offerings as a Tabla soloist, accompanist with top class musicians, Fusion bands – Stree Shakti & Su-Fo-Re and collaborations with Folk, Semi classical, Western classical, New age, Jazz, Latin, African, Flamenco along with Fashion, painting, poetry & Kathak.
With the blessings of her family & Gurus, Ustads Alla Rakha & Zakir Hussain, Anuradha has performed extensively with Padma Vibhushans Girija Devi, Pt. Jasraj, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, Pt. Shivkumar Sharma, Pt. Birju Maharaj, Ustad Amjad Ali khan, young maestros to name a few.
She has regaled dignitaries like Honourable President & Prime Ministers of India & Queen Elizabeth at major diplomatic events. Anuradha has performed extensively in prestigious festivals in India, USA, Europe, UK, Japan, Australia, Africa, Brazil, Middle east, Hong Kong, Bangkok amongst others.
She has received several prestigious awards like Maharashtra Rajya Sanskrutik Puraskar, Best Female Tabla player, Femina Super Women achievers’ award, FICCI Woman of excellence, Zee Astitva award etc., for her meaningful thought leadership, entrepreneurship & commitment.
She composed the background score for many short films, M.F. Husain’s Bollywood film Gaja Gamini as well as in top selling Fusion albums like ‘Get Recharged!’, ‘Passion’, ‘Kesaria’, ‘Recharge Plus!’ & ‘Nirvana’.
She is a Masters in Music and has contributed in research & taught at several prestigious IVY league US universities. She teaches online at the Anuradha Pal Cultural Academy. As Founder – Director of Sur aaur Saaz Music label & events, Anuradha releases diverse albums/ caller tunes & organises Music for Wellness workshops & Concerts / festivals.
She created India’s first all female Hindustani Carnatic combination band called Stree Shakti in 1996 to provide equal opportunity to other female musicians struggling to make their mark too, thereby inspiring the entire generation of girls to realize their dreams with hard work.
Abroad – Przystanek Woodstock, WOMAD, Rhythm Sticks Festival, Commonwealth Games, City of London Festival, Cardiff Jazz Festival, Greenwich & Docklands Festival, Masters of Indian Music Festival , Learnquest Music Festival, MITHAS, Young Music Wizards of India, Basant Bahar Festival, Darbar Festival, Night of the Virtuoso, Festivals of India in Brazil and Qatar, Global Fusion Festival, Bangkok International Music Festival, Vrindavan Festival Singapore, Bellingen Global Carnival, Festival Musique Multi Montreal, Carnevale Festival, CHOGM Summit.
In India – Mumbai (ICCR Horizon Series, ITC SRA Sangeet Sammelan, IIT ‘Mood Indigo’, IIT Roots, Elephanta & Banganga Festivals, P.L. Deshpande Festival, Kala Ghoda Festival, Siddhi Vinayak Magghi Festival, Akashvani Sangeet Sammelan, MTDC Festivals, Doordarshan Award Nites, Spicmacay ‘Virasat Festival’, Alladiyakhan Music Festival, Mumbai University Leadership Summit, TEDxXie, Gunidas Sammelan), Nagpur (Vasantrao Deshpande Festival, Kalidas Samaroh), Thane (MadFest, Sanskruti Arts Festival), Ratnagiri, Pune (Ganesh Utsav, Swara Malhar Festival), Aurangabad (Ajanta Ellora Festival), Jalgaon (AIR Silver Jubilee Celebrations, Bal Gandharva Utsav), Nanded (Sangeet Shankar Darbar). DELHI – SAARC Summit for Honourable PM of India, Sriram Shankarlal Festival, INTACH, Parampara Festival, Sangeet Natak Akademi, ICCR Delhi, Habitat Centre, Spirit of Unity Concerts, Vishnu Digambar Jayanti Samaroh, IIC, Dilli Durbar, Ustad Chand Khan Samaroh, Gandharva Mahavidyala, DD National (Tejaswini 100th Episode), Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyalaya, Bhairav Se Sohni Sammelan, Guru Bholanath Festival, Depot29. Varanasi (Sankat Mochan Mahotsav, Kanthe Maharaj Samaroh, Ganga Mahotsav, Budhwa Mangal Samaroh, Kala Academy, Subah-e-Benaras, BHU),
Lucknow (Akashwani Sangeet Sammelan), Vrindavan Sangeet Samaroh, Allahabad (NZCC, ITC SRA Sammelan). Bengaluru (Malleshwaram Sabha, Gururao Deshpande, Chowdiah Hall, Handshake Concert, Bridging Cultures Concert), Shimoga (Ramnavami Festival), Hampi Utsav, Chittoor (Rani Chennamma Festival), Karkala Festival, REC Surathkal, Mangalore (Megh Sandhya, Sthree Swarangini). Bhopal (Bharat Bhavan, Bhopal Utsav, Hriday Drishyam), Dewas (Kumar Gandharva Samaroh), Indore (Raag Amir Festival, Ameer Khan Samaroh), Maihar (Alauddin Khan Samaroh), Ujjain (Akhil Bharatiya Kalidas Samaroh, Simhasth Kumbh, Mahakaleshwar Samaroh), Gwalior (Tansen Samaroh), Malwa Utsav, Rewa (Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav). Kolkata (Salt Lake Music Festival, Dover Lane Music Conference, Tagore Centre, ITC SRA, Tabla Samaroh, Sangeet Piyasi), Uttarpara Sangeet Chakra. Hyderabad (SPICMACAY, Hydourite Festival, Ravindra Bharathi, Indian School of Business), Vijayawada (Amravati Festival), Puttaparthi, Srikalahasti, Vizag (Spirit of Unity Concerts). Ahmedabad (Saptak Festival, Naada Festival), Chennai (ICCR Horizon Series, Bharat Sangeet Utsav, Museum Theatre, SZCC), Coimbatore (G.V. Centre for Performing Arts). Chandigarh (Bhaskar Rao Sammelan, Pracheen Kala Kendra, NZCC), Jalandhar (Harballabh Sammelan), Amritsar (Lakshmi Narain Raag Sabha). Cochin (Kerala Fine Arts, Society Dharani. Krithi International Book Fair, ICCR Cochin), Trivandrum, Calicut (Kairali Festival). Jaipur (ICCR Horizon Series, Jawahar Kala Kendra), Kota (Sangeet Natak Akademi Festival), Udaipur (Maharana Kumbha Samaroh, Maharana Mewar Foundation), Bhubaneswar (Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra Festival, Guru Debaprasad Samaroh), Konark Dance & Music Festival, Puri Jagannath Mandir Festival. Raipur (Pawas Prasang), Raigarh (Chakradhar Samaroh). Shimla Classical Music Festival.
STATE
Maharashtra Rajya Sanskrutik Puraskar 2006, Vagadhara Navratna Samman 2018, Womens Achievers award 2017, Rotary Vocational Appreciation Award 2017, Young Environmentalists Women Achiever Award 2015, Adwitiya Stree Shakti Puraskar 2011, Pandit Jasraj Best Musician Award 1999, Taal Mani 1990.
NATIONAL
K&K Social Foundation Best Female Tabla Player 2020, Rotary Excellence Award 2020, Makhan Lal Haldar Memorial Award 2019, Taal Brahmavaadini 2019, First Ladies Award 2018, Maharana Kumbha Samman 2018, Femina Women Super Achievers Award 2018, Swasthi Foundation Excellence Award for Women 2017, FICCI Woman of Excellence Award 2016, Fempowerment Women Achievers Award 2014, Dagar Gharana Samman 2013, Star Taal Award 2009, Zee Astitva Award 2007,Bhatkhande Taal Ratna 1997, Mahakal Samman 1995, Rotary Vocational Excellence Award 1995, All India Youth Festival Gold Medal 1990.
Media Recogntion –
1) Woman of Substance by DD National (2006)
2) Rajya Sabha TV (2015)
3) Aaj ki Naari (1999) by Films Division of India
4) Art Talk on News X TV channel
5) Featured prominently with Ustad Zakir Hussain in the popular Saadhana TV program.
6) Program All About her on Times Now (2004)
INTERNATIONAL
Excellence Award – Montreal (Canada).
Media Recognition –
1) Adventure Divas by PBS, USA (2001)
2) BBC World broadcast Stree Shakti performing live at the prestigious WOMAD festival for 1.5 lakh fans, in 56 countries (1999)
3) Featured prominently in The Speaking Hand documentary on Ustad Zakir Hussain (1995)
4) BBC World Service hailed her as one of the Prominent Women Musicians of India (1991)
