Women bassists strike the right chords on India’s stage

The standard image of a live band followed a predictable blueprint for decades: boys with long hair on guitars, bass and drums, with one of them leading the act with a mic in hand. The layout, however, is a bit different today, as women have entered the male-dominated scene with a bass guitar slung across their shoulders, not just a conventional electric guitar or keyboards.India never had many dedicated bassists. Guitarists often switched to bass at gigs or studio sessions. Those days are over, as women take the lead now in bands as bassists. Shri Lavanya Pudipeddi | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Shalini Mohan, Mohini Dey and Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar triggered the new wave and broke stereotypes. Even their appearance turned heads — Mohini’s dreadlocks, Nilanjana’s saris and Shalini’s trendy fits — along with their precision on the fat strings.Shachi Ajgaonkar from Pune, Shri Lavanya Pudipeddi, the only female bass player from Raipur, and Pooja Mazoomdar from Mumbai credit the trio for changing the perception that bass is a male instrument. Social media has also played its part in making women bassists more visible.“I started when I was 14. My teacher, Sanjeev Pandkar, suggested that I try the bass. I gave it a shot and was hooked,” says 26-year-old Shachi, who adds that she is inspired by Rahul Ram of Indian Ocean, Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Victor Wooten. “I saw Ram live in 2017 and was struck by his strong bass lines. Shachi plays with the band Sabali and sustains a career through corporate shows, college festivals and gigs at clubs. Anushree Aich is inspired by Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Lavanya, a student of Nilanjana Ghosh Dastidar, started at 17 and felt “women today are much more independent and, comparatively, more vocal about what they want to pursue.” The Mumbai-based 27-year-old originally hails from Raipur, where she graduated in electronics and telecommunications. “Entering a space hitherto dominated by men was a major reason why I chose to be a bassist,” she says, adding that senior artistes helped her grow as a musician. A touring artiste and an educator, Lavanya freelances, collaborates and works with several music schools.Pooja, on the other hand, has worked with music producer Leslie Lewis, who boosted her career. Born in a Bengali middle-class family, living in Mumbai, she was introduced to Rabindra Sangeet and Nazrulgeeti from a young age, and was drawn to the bass after listening to Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. She shunned her career in software and biomedical engineering to pursue music. “I play pop, disco, funk, rock and Bollywood. As a live musician, I also play the synth bass and operate Ableton Live. Bass has the advantage of being both melodic and percussive,” says the 35-year-old, who has already performed with the likes of Colonial Cousins, Sona Mahapatra, Ram Sampath and Anushka Manchanda, besides releasing around 25 songs as a composer and producer under her artist name, ‘Sound of Muzak’. She dreams of collaborating with Billy Joel, Flea, Sting and Charlie Puth. Shachi Ajgaonkar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The bass singersNilanjana, Mohini and Shalini also stand out for their vocal skills.Anushree Aich from West Bengal and Chinmoyee Kalita from Assam followed in their path.Inspired by Jaco Pastorius and Marcus Miller, Anushree started learning the bass from Nikhilesh Guha in 2022. “Seeing these incredible women play the bass is inspiring. Their growing presence in the bass community is wonderful for Indian music. I want to keep learning, playing, taking up opportunities as they come,” says the 22-year-old. “I am earning a little now, but look forward to making this my full-time career, either by playing with others or creating my own band.“My parents didn’t know what a bass guitar was or how it sounded till I decided to learn it. But they were still encouraging,” says Anushree, adding that opportunities are abundant. “You just have to keep your ears and eyes open.”Chinmoyee began her bass journey at 19. “I feel fortunate to have grown up surrounded by musical people in Assam who supported me. Choosing this instrument was a blessing. Before that, I was mainly into singing and Kathak,” shares the 27-year-old, who currently plays with Hurricane Gals, an all-woman rock and fusion band.“I initially started learning by watching videos of renowned bass players and observing their technique. I attended a workshop conducted by Mohini Dey, which was a valuable experience,” she says. Chinmoyee Kalita | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Chinmoyee feels the bass industry has less competition, which makes it easier to find work. “Everyone wants a tight rhythm section. A groovy and in-time bassist is rare. Opportunities are plenty if you are versatile. Live gigs with bands and independent artistes are one of the main sources of income.”Tiasha Halder from Kolkata and 16-year-old Deshna Chitturi from Coimbatore are also striking the right chords. Deshna already has an endorsement deal with Mark Bass & Procraft India.Composer A.R. Rahman has played a significant role in shaping the careers of Mohini and Nilanjana by having them as bass players in his band. Even Shalini has shared the stage with him three years ago.The new pack is eyeing that one big break.