Queen Bee
Shubha Mudgal spells C-Sharp as see-sharp, hardly the road popular singing has taken in India. Her silhouette doesn't endear her to music video directors who like their divas doing a stiletto-turn on a coin. But few classical musicians bridge the gap between high classical and sultry pop with such flair, gusto and success as this flamboyant mistress of song, whose hip-shaking Ali More Angna track from the album of the same name three years ago told Asha Bhosle, Alisha Chinai and Ila Arun where they get off. She will do Indipop one day (Ab Ke Sawan), stop by for wedding songs on another (Wedding Songs of UP), do bhajan on a third (Deepawali) and set the stage on fire with thumri on the fourth.

This eclectic diva makes for great public presence. She sings full-throated; she has redefined the style of no-holding back. Trained by a number of masters -- from Kumar Gandharva to Naina Devi -- in classical music, Mudgal boasts vast stylistic influences and a wide repertoire. Her voice is pure passion, and she has an exceptional sense for rhythm which carries well off-stage; she is charm mixed with razor sharp intelligence; and she deals with both the music market and her personal world on her own terms. Her talent is not in doubt. Only, whether she will be known as the queen mother of classical, the queen of the fusion wave, or the princess of popular tides.