Wasifuddin Dagar and Mohan Shyam Sharma
Video quality took a hit as a result of the recent iPhone theft, but I still want to share clips from Ustad Fayiz Wasifuddin Dagar's recital at India International Centre last night. Wasifuddin traces his family lineage back twenty generations to the Mughal courts of North India, and the Dagars are regarded as hereditary dhrupad specialists par excellence. For those unfamiliar with this vocal genre, it can be an acquired taste. Dhrupad emphasizes lengthy alap expositions--sometimes as long as an hour or more--and subtle microtonal nuances in raag development. The first clip shows the beginning of Dagar's alap in Raag Darbari. The second shows Mohan Shyam Sharma, my first pakhawaj teacher, accompanying the fixed composition that followed the alap. "Fixed" may be the wrong word, as the composition serves as the basis for further improvisation and exploration. Here Dagar employs gamak, a vocal shaking effect, which creates an otherworldly timbre. Love it or hate it, there's nothing quite like it.
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