Raag Komal Ri Asavari
Zia Fariduddin Dagar & Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar
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Zia Fariduddin Dagar
Posted 2013-08-12
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Singer Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (1932-2013), the younger brother of rudra veena giant Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and son of Ustad Ziauddin Dagar, court musician of Maharana Bhupal Singh of Udaipur belonged to the 19th generation of the revered Dagar family of Dhrupad musicians. This photo was taken in 1968.
He is featured, together with his brother on two of Country & Eastern’s internationally most appreciated albums Raag Malkauns (CE 02) and Ragini Miyan ki Todi (CE19). The former is an evening raga recorded on february 4, 1968 and the later a morning raga recorded the next morning in their home in Chembur, Bombay.
The Malkauns album is unfortunately sold. If you are very eager, get it from iTunes.
On June 8, 2018 we released a great album with Fariduddin, Raag Kalavati recorded in Nathdwara in 1968 with great pakhawaj playing by an uncle of the great Purshottam Das.
Here is a very informative and deep article on the origins of Dhrupad and review of Kalavati and our 2018 albums by Raul da Gama in World Music Report, Dagar Dynasty: The mysticism of Dagar “Vani” Dhrupad
Here is “Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar / The Dhrupad Legend”, a halfhourlong documentary:
all records with Zia Fariduddin Dagar
more info
See Faridbhai talk about music:
A link to the movie Dhrupad by Mani Raul from 1982
The excellent magazine Sruti carried an interview with Ustadji on his 80th birthday.
Some words from his shishya Pandit Uday Bhawalkar on Ustad Zia Mohiuddin’s death on may 8, 2013:
“I feel blessed that Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar was my guru. I lived with him at his home for over 12 years. A myriad of life experiences and memories flash through as I attempt to reconcile his loss. I first met him at the age of 15 in Dhrupad Kendra as a first batch student and since then have been learning from him. He was an extraordinary person, he always encouraged in me a willingness to pursue the depth of music. He used to wake us up at 4am in the morning and would teach us for many hrs of the day. His command on Swars and Shrutis, creating amazing patterns in fast tempo-ed Alalp (Jhala), Gamakas, Meends, and pronunciation of Alap syllables were incredible. He was a very innocent chlid-like person and used to create quite funny and jolly atmosphere around his disciples. I never heard the Gandhar and Dhaivat of Darbari, Both Nishads in Miya Malhar, amazing Jayjaywanti, Bihag from any other musician. His way of singing Shrutis was almost impossible to reach.He developed many “shishyas” and Dhrupad music will live longer for generations to come due to the teachings of both our Ustads: Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1929-1990), the rudra veena maestro and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (1932-2013). Both brothers have done the greatest work in dhrupad, which this world is realizing and will be realizing for coming many decades. May God grant eternal peace to the great soul.”
