MEET OUR ARTIST: DIKSHA
DIKSHA MURLI
HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL VOCALIST
Diksha Murli is an up-and-coming Hindustani Classical vocalist based in the UK - who has performed as part of our Back to The Lounge sessions featuring emerging musicians and music enthusiasts.
Diksha is currently training under her Guru, Prabhat Rao in the nuances of Khayal. Diksha’s grandmother, her first Guru, Smt. Usha Murthy initiated her into music as a child after which she pursued Carnatic music with Y. Yadavan for a few years. However, having found a deep connection with Khayal as a genre, Diksha now strives to use this as a medium for her own Sadhana as well as performance.
Diksha has presented solo recitals at various venues in London including the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Nehru Centre. Her music has been featured on BBC Radio 3 and she won the 2022 Competition for classical arts curated by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. She is a dedicated teacher to a small group of students and wishes to continue learning, performing and teaching alongside her cardiac physiology studies at Southampton University.
Learn more about her journey and inspirations below…
WHAT IS YOUR SOURCE OF INSPIRATION?
"My parents are very important inspirations to me as an artist, working incredibly hard to support my musical growth and encouraging me to practice. They have always travelled with me to all my performances, whether that be in the UK or abroad. I am extremely fortunate to have my parents, who have been the main reason why I continue to practice today.
"As a student, I could not have reached anywhere without my guru, Shri Prabhat Rao. Over the past 8 years, his mentorship has been the guiding light illuminating my musical path, offering boundless opportunities and pushing me beyond my perceived limits. The efforts he puts into his teaching and music inspire me every day. The nuances, emotions, and sheer beauty of Khayal that he expresses, are elements I continue to absorb and integrate into my musical journey. I could not be more blessed to have such a Guru in my life and I always try to make him proud.
"My students are a big inspiration to me and the experience has been invaluable. It brings me great happiness to share my knowledge with my students and aid their development.
“More recently, I have started to listen to artists in the Gwalior Gharana to understand different approaches and their vocal techniques. This is something that has widened my knowledge which I aim to do more regularly in the future.”
HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO MUSIC?
“I have continuously been surrounded by music and my parents have always encouraged me since the beginning. I learned both Hindustani and Carnatic music in tandem before I chose to pursue Hindustani music in depth, since I felt a deep connection to khayal and its improvised nature. The aesthetics of khayal and the emotions it presents inspired me, and I wanted to develop that ability in my music.”