Bengaluru WHAM Festival Ends On High Note, Celebrating Women In Music

The third edition of the WHAM (Women’s History, Art and Music) Festival at the Indian Music Experience Museum in Bengaluru concluded on a high note, bringing together a diverse spectrum of musical traditions,from Mughal-era poetry to contemporary electronic music.

Spanning three weeks, the festival celebrated the legacy and contributions of women in Indian music through performances, exhibitions, workshops and discussions. The closing days highlighted this diversity, featuring Hindustani classical stalwart Shubha Mudgal and electronic music pioneer Ma Faiza.

Mudgal’s performance, themed around “Women, Sexuality and Song,” drew from compositions rooted in the late Mughal era, shedding light on the often-overlooked contributions of women poets. She also reflected on how many such voices remained unpublished due to historical and social barriers.

The festival also explored a wide range of regional and contemporary expressions, including folk traditions like songs of rice cultivators from Nagaland, alongside experimental collaborations blending hip-hop with Kumaoni folk music.

Beyond performances, WHAM featured curated experiences such as a feminist library pop-up, film screenings and art workshops, reinforcing its role as a multidisciplinary cultural platform. A key highlight this year was the introduction of a permanent exhibit dedicated to Annapurna Devi, recognising her enduring influence on Hindustani classical music.

The festival concluded with a high-energy set by Ma Faiza, bringing together themes of identity, resistance and celebration, and underlining WHAM’s larger intent,to create a space that acknowledges both the struggles and triumphs of women in music.

By seamlessly bridging historical narratives with contemporary sounds, the WHAM Festival continues to position itself as a vital platform for re-examining and celebrating women’s contributions to India’s musical landscape.