A1. Asawari: Alaap & Dhrupad composition 'Ana Sunai' [24.19]
B1. Bhairavi: Alaap & Dhrupad composition 'Jagata Janani' [21.19]
- B2. Pakhawaj solo: Dhamar Taal (4.48)
Moinuddin & Aminuddin Dagar - vocals
Raja Chhatrapati Singh - pakhawaj
Suraiya Dagar - tanpura
'The 1940s saw the meteoric rise of Nasir Moinuddin & Nasir Aminuddin as the Senior Dagar Brothers—two of the brightest stars in the Dhrupad firmament. Within themselves they not only transformed the centuries olde art of Dhrupad singing but also breathed new life into the form of duet or 'jugalbandi' singing. Previously jugalbandi in the field of classical music had degenerated into a competition between the two singers where each tried to outdo the other in exhibitionism. Moinuddin and Aminuddin on the other hand brought back the concept of a harmonious synchronization between the two singers. In a typical performance by the Senior Dagar Brothers, the honey rich voice of Aminuddin will draw the audience into a deep meditative mood by gradually descending the notes of the lower octaves and Moinuddin would dazzle the listeners with his alankars or ornamentations in the upper octave. After having established Dhrupad in a pedestal of glory in India, they were invited to perform abroad. The two brothers visited Russia and Japan mezmerising the audience of both East and West with their divine music. Their music proved to be so charming that Alain Danielou the renowned musicologist and the then director of UNESCO invited them to tour Europe and perform under the UNESCO banner in Berlin Venice and Paris. In 1964 the European audience listened enthralled to their singing and newspaper after news paper declared the glory of Dhrupad and of the Senior Dagar Brothers. A review of their performance published in Le Monde of Paris dated 17 November 1964 perhaps best expresses the mood of the western audience: '...we will remain under the deep impression of an art of such greatness and intensity that... we feel touched and moved to the deepest of our being.' Ustad Nasir Moinuddin Dagar died soon after this concert in 1966. Aminuddin who had regarded his brother as his greatest guru and his father substitute was left completely devastated but he continued his journey as a solo performer.' ~ wiki
'This is the famous disque that it is said to have played a great role in the propagation of dhrupad in the western world. It was probably one of the first [if not the first] exposure of the style to the european continent and the impact was immense. Danielou took both the Dagars on a tour, with great success, be it even among a handful of people, and this proved to be the start of a great journey of this dignified and noble style in the realm of Europe. Alain Danielou was the general editor of the collection [commissioned by UNESCO] and for the indian volumes [4 in all] he also recorded the performances and assembled the programmes.' ~ hrempe
done waited many moons for this transcendental treasure to appear & it finally landed on our digital doorstep by virtue of the benevolent dmatlb earlier this eve. tanx kindly for the crucial vinyl rip, friend. the sounds are intoxicating. 320 blessings be upon ye. dig deeper
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