
All-women ghazal band set to take centre stage
The Hindu
Group led by singer Gayatri Asokan to make debut with online show
Many a dulcet female voice has graced a mehfil of ghazal across the sub-continent and beyond, for decades. Singers like Farida Khanum, Begum Akhtar, Chitra Singh, Iqbal Bano and Nayyara Noor have made their voices heard in a world dominated by their male counterparts such as Jagjit Singh, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and Pankaj Udhas.
The ghazal singers are always accompanied on the stage by male musicians. One would rarely come across a female musician at a concert of ghazals. That tradition is about to change, though.
A newly formed ghazal band has women playing all the instruments. Singer Gayatri Asokan’s band is all set to make its debut, breaking a glass ceiling that has stood firm for long.