Nikhita S. Krishnan, Vimala Hridaya Girls HSS, Kollam, playing guitar. | Photo credit: KKKustafah
While the world has seen the power of female guitarists like Jennifer Batten, Joan Jett, Nancy Wilson and versatile artists like Joni Mitchell, the guitar scene at Mar Thimotheus High School in Kuriachira has been a bit of a disappointment. Among the 15 students (including the girl’s recall) who showed up with guitars slung over their shoulders, there were 13 boys and only two girls. So where were all the girls?
During these competitions, it feels like a boy’s world out there, says Nikhita S Krishnan, a Plus Two student studying at Vimala Hridaya Girls HSS, Kollam. After achieving a hat-trick in the A category, she says, “Even in the last few years, we only had two girls. Guitar is mostly associated with boys and band culture, with most girls preferring instruments like violin and piano. I wish that would change,” she says.
Easwar M Madhu, who bagged the mark for the second time at the festival, says that while the participation of girls is seen at the sub-district and district levels, they ultimately fell short at the state level. “This is an instrument that requires intense passion and undivided attention to master. I think it takes a kind of obsessive practice to master,” says the 17-year-old, who wowed the crowd with Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’, Owl City’s Fireflies and Yung Kai’s ‘Blue’.
Nived P, a student of Vaduthala Jama-ath High School, who wowed the crowd by strumming with virtuosity and fluidity and even playing backing drum beats by tapping his guitar, says he didn’t really “notice” the absence from the competition until now. “I’m not sure why this is happening,” he says.
Published – 14 Jan 2026 21:47 IST
