Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar - concert à radio France 1988

Here is something different than our usual posts. Years ago some contributors posted some Indian classical music, mostly Khyal, let’s return to this tradition of world music. Here is a post of instrumental dhrupad. This tradition is the oldest and the most respected in India. Originally it comes from temple singers but Dhrupad masters became court musicians. It is the case of Ustad Ziauddin Khan father of Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar who was musicians ate the court of Udaypur’s Maharajah. Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was born in 1929 and died in 1990, he represents the 19th generation of the Dagar tradition also named Dagarvani. Beside Ustad Asad Ali Khan, Ustad Z.M. Dagar was probably the most famous Dhrupad musician who played the rudra vena or Been. In the Dagar tradition Ustad Z.M. Dagar opened a new tradition. Before him the rudra veena was never played in front of audience. If almost all the Dagar were trained in the veena, they were only privately playing it, in public they concentrate on the vocal Dhrupad. Ustad Z.M. Dagar is the first to choose the rudra veena as his primary instrument, he also made some changes in the structure of the been to create greater resonance. With the help of instrument maker Kanai Lal from Kolkata the rudra veena get a deeper sound and became a larger bass instrument.

More informations on the history of the rudra veena/been can be found at 

http://rudravina.com/html_gb/intro.html

Here we have the full recital given by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar on May 27, 1988 at radio France. First he plays a long improvisation on the raag Purya Kalyan following the classic development in three parts: alap, jor, jala and a conclusion with the packawaj. Then he concludes the performance with the raag Lalit only in alap.

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar: rudra veena

Mohin Bahauddin Dagar : tanpura

Philippe Bruguiere : tanpura

Pandit Shrikant Mishra : packawaj

raag Puriya Kalyan:

-alap (slow tempo without rhythm)

-jor (slow tempo with rhythm)

-jala (fast tempo with rhythm)

-chautaal (12 bits rhythm with percussion/packawaj)

raag Lalit

-alap

May 27, 1988 studio 105 maison de la radio