India’s only percussion instrument festival- Dumru Rhythm Festival is presenting a unique, new concept for lady percussionists in India titled ‘Women of Rhythm’. A first-of-its kind concert series, the organisers have planned 3 concerts in 3 different cities with a mélange of artists.

While the prime reason for organising this concert is presenting women who have empowered themselves through the medium of rhythm, it is also to bring to the forefront the reality that there are few women who have taken up drums or percussion as an instrument of choice. Primarily, women have always been known to play musical instruments like the sitar, piano, guitar and/or melody instruments. Right from the ancient times, they were never encouraged to play percussive instruments. The chief reason for this being that in the Indian guru-shisyaparampara, gurus perceived women’s fingers to be nibble and didn’t encourage them to take up percussion instruments.

‘Women Of Rhythm’ presents bold, talented women who have empowered themselves by taking a step forward and doing away with preconceived notions about drumming and percussion. The concert hence looks at promoting women empowerment through the medium of music with a keen focus on percussion.

Four of the artists who will be performing happen to be the first women in India to ever play their instrument in the history, namely, Dandamudi Sumathi Rammohan Rao (mridamgam), Sukanya Ramgopal (ghatam), Chitrangada Agle Reshwal (pakhawaj) and Anuradha Pal (tabla).

While Dandamudi Sumathi Rammohan Rao is a legend in her own right, Sukanya Ramgopalis a disciple of VidwanVikku Vinayakramwho proudly calls her his favourite. Chitrangada Agle Reshwalis a trend-setter as she happens to be the first woman to have played the pakhawaj. Pakhwaj being a robust instrument was never played by women in the ancient history and Chitrangada has done away with that notion through her skill and passion for the instrument.

While the Late Mrs Abar Mistry was India’s first lady tabla maestro, Anuradha Pal is the disciple of Late Ustad Alla Rakha and world sensation Ustad Zakhir Hussain. Anuradha is now considered as India’s first professional lady tabla maestro.

In the battle of firsts, the lineup also consists of the Princess Of Tabla- Rimpa Siva who is a child prodigy with a French documentary written and directed by Patrick Glaize to her credit. Also, in order to promote drumming, the lineup includes fierce drummer Shiksha Bali who is primarily a self-taught drummer and loves to play rock. Shiksha strongly advocates that women must empower themselves and make decisions for their good. The artists are the heroes of the ‘Women Of Rhythm’ concert series .

The event is organized and promoted by Mumbai-based event and wedding management company Emars Events Pvt. Ltd. while it has been conceptualised and curated by India-based music management company Gladpeople Management.

Venue: YB Chavan Auditorium, Nariman Point, Opp Mantralaya, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400021

Date:   15^th December 2016

Day:     Thursday

Time:   7:30 p.m.

Tickets: Rs 150 and Rs. 300

Here is a lowdown on the artists performing:

Dandamudi Sumathi Ramamohan Rao

She is the first woman artist in the country to storm the male bastion and become a professional on the Mridangam. Recipient of the Best Mridangist Award thrice by Madras Music Academy and also an ‘Amateur' Awardee (Central government). With the financial crunch the family faced, Sumathi had to stop performing for a year in public, a condition her guru put while under his tutelage. The family had to undergo a lot of tribulations as her performances were a source of income to make both ends meet.

Anuradha Pal

She stormed the male bastion of rhythm at the age of seven, when the Tabla was considered a strict No-Go zone for women, thereby ‘heralding a musical revolution’, shattering gender biases. She is hailed as the First Professional female Tabla Virtuoso in the world by the prestigious Encyclopedia Britannica, Who‘s Who journal of the World & Limca Book of Records (1991). She started performing when she was barely ten and half years old. Trained by Tabla legends Late Ustad Alla Rakha & Ustad Zakir Hussain, she is an innovative soloist & multi percussionist, a versatile accompanist and an enthusiastic collaborator with Jazz, African, Latin, Flamenco, Crossover Classical, Percussion, Pop, Rock & New-age music.

Sukkanya Ramgopal

She exhibited an inclination towards percussion instruments right from her childhood. She used to buy the toy ‘DUMRU’ (a small percussion toy instrument) sold in streets during Pongal festival and play it enthusiastically. She has mastered playing the Ghatam over the last 30 years and is the senior most disciple of Ghatam Legend and Grammy Award winning artiste Vidwan Vikku Vinayakram. In spite of facing discrimination in the music field being a lady percussionist, reached the level of most sought after Ghatam artist mainly due to her mastery over the techniques of producing good Naadam ( tonal sound quality) from the earthen pot.

Chitrangana Agle Reshwal

She first learned to play Pakhawaj from her brothers and mastered the basics with aplomb; orthodoxy had to bow down to talent. Her father Pt. Kalidas Pant Agle started giving lessons of the famous traditional Nana Panse-Agle Gharana which was only restricted to male scions to his daughter. She sits on the stage skillfully handling the Pakhawaj; one finds it difficult to match the aural and visual input. She is accorded as the first woman Pakhawaj artiste in the world by Limca Book. She also received a two year scholarship from Ministry of Human Resource Development for learning the instrument. As an approved artiste, her solo recitals are regularly broadcast from Akashvani and Doordarshan.She was appointed Pakhawaj guru by Ustad Allauddin Khan Sangeet Academe and Madhya Pradesh Cultural Committee, Bhopal, under which she taught students for one month.

Rimpa Siva

At three, when most of her friends were busy playing with dolls, she was mesmerized with the sounds of Tabla that resonated at home. She would sit next to her father Pandit Swapan Siva, a respected Tabla artiste and guru in Kolkata as he taught his disciples.“He realised my ‘shaukh’ for tabla was not casual and felt if he tutored me, I would take it forward.” Her passion and accomplishments earned laurels and a French documentary titled ‘Rimpa Siva Princess of Tabla’ which was made in 1998 when she was just twelve. She delights in playing kaida, peshkar and gat and being unique.

Shiksha Bali

She was 20 years old when she started learning the Drum Kit. Quickly she developed this mad love towards the instrument and the sounds that came out of it. She was chosen by Radio Mirchi to be the drummer for an all-women’s band called SOUL in 2009 – and the journey began. Her band “The Comebacks” split in 2011 but she continued to practice the drums. Soon Shiksha started playing as a drummer for rock singer & youth sensation 2 Blue, who did a GNR tribute at all Hard Rock Café’s across India in 2014.