Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Dhrupad notes and research     [music notes]

This is an out-of-season note -- but I want to blog it simply for future reference. The goodly Google has belatedly apprised me of a first dhrupad festival held in Chennai last February. The report (from the English language newspaper The Hindu) reflects a fine gathering. Another report on the same event is found in the magazine Sruthi. The same is also described here. The Music Magazine describes the same (invoking the name Barsi for the festival) here.

The Hindu same also has a report from May of this year on a music festival in Delhi, again featuring dhrupad. (It notes Ustad Fariddudin Dagar held a 2-week workshop in Delhi, too, at the Habitat Centre.) Another shorter notice in the same paper is seen here.

Earlier this month (October 7), Ustad H. Sayeeduddin Dagar (who is based in Pune) held performances at an arts center in Brussels. Also mentioned are Nafeesuddin Dagar (vocal), Aneesuddin Dagar (vocal), and Pandit Mohan Shyam Sharma (pakhawaj). (I had heard of Ustad Sayeeduddin Dagar in past, but didn't realize -- as this notice mentions -- that he is a brother of the Ustads Zia Fariduddin and the late Zia Mohiuddin Dagar.) It also mentions the Gundecha Brothers will perform there next January. The succinct note about the origins of dhrupad is worth quoting:
The dhrupad (from dhruva, Pole Star, and pada, poetry) evokes the ascension of the spirit through poetry. This truly ancient style traces its origins to the samgana, the accompaniment of melody and rhythm to the ritual chanting of the Vedic texts that took place in Hindu temples. Towards the 11th century, the dhrupad attained a degree of perfection that that it has once again regained today under the auspices of the prestigious Dagar dynasty.


Also in music news, as of today (Oct.18) --
The renowned sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar has been admitted in a hospital in San Diego and California. His wife Sukanya is at his bedside. The ailment was not announced. He is 86.


I wasn't aware that this year, the dhrupad Barsi in Mumbai has already happened -- a couple weeks ago.
Annual Zia Mohiuddin Dagar memorial recitals:

BARSI 2006

29TH SEPTEMBER 2006, 6:30 PM
USTAD WASIFUDDIN DAGAR [VOCAL]
USTAD ASAD ALI KHAN [BEEN]

30TH SEPTEMBER 2006, 6:30 PM
PANDIT RAVI SHANKAR UPADHAYA [PAKHAWAJ SOLO]
USTAD Z F DAGAR [VOCAL]

ACCOMPANISTS
PANDIT MOHAN SHYAM SHARMA [PAKHAWAJ]
PANDIT RAVISHANKAR UPADHAYA [PAKHAWAJ]

Date: Friday, September 29, 2006
Time: 6:30 PM
Location: YASHWANTRAO CHAVAN PRATISHTHAN, Churchgate, Mumbai

(per Google Group -- rec.music.indian.classical)

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This chart lists a lot of Hindustani musicians, with terse notes about their influences. It includes more vichitra vina players than I was aware of.

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Gundecha Brothers -- music downloads

2 Comments:

Blogger david raphael israel said...

also to note -- this notice appeared on my Indian classical music google group board --

<< Namaskar, Renowned dhrupad singer Shri Uday Bhawalkar is currently residing in Seattle and teaching at the University of Washington as a visiting faculty. His stay is for 8 months until the end of May'07. He is available for concerts in the US from March to May'07. Shri Manik Munde will join him on the pakhawaj. . . . >>

Thu Oct 19, 08:11:00 AM PDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hello there,

I enjoyed your comments above, but thought it good to let you know that Sayeeduddin Dagar is not the brother of Zia's Fariduddin and Mohiuddin, but is somewhat of a cousin. Sayeeduddin's father, A Hussainudeen Dagar, was the brother of A Nasiruddin Dagar, the father of Aminuddin and Moinuddin (whew). A Nasiruddin and A Hosseinuddin (and their brother A Rahimuddin) have a common ancestor with Ziauddin Dagar, the father of the two zia's.

Wed Sep 12, 07:48:00 AM PDT  

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