Dagar vani


The Dagar vani is a tradition of the classical dhrupad genre of Hindustani classical music spanning 20 generations, tracing back to Swami Haridas, and including Behram Khan of Jaipur. For some generations its members were associated with the courts of Jaipur, Udaipur, and Mewar.
The main feature of the Dagar vani is sophisticated, subtle, serene and rigorous exposition of alap-jor-jhala, including great attention to microtonal inflection delineating the subtleties of raga often otherwise overlooked or lost.
Until the 20th century, it was exclusively a vocal genre, but since the innovations of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar to the rudra vina, that instrument has found a place in performance, following closely the inflections and style of the vocal technique.
The genre was carried into the 20th century by seven Dagar brothers and cousins: Aminuddin Dagar and Nasir Moinuddin, Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar, Nasir Zaheeruddin and Nasir Fayyazuddin, H. Sayeeduddin Dagar, and the brothers Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Zia Fariduddin Dagar. Zia Mohiuddin and Zia Fareeduddin were largely responsible for training today's practitioners, the most prominent of whom include Ritwik Sanyal, Pushparaj Koshti, Wasifuddin Dagar, Bahauddin Dagar, Asit Kumar Banerjee, Uday Bhawalkar, and the Gundecha Brothers.

Family pedagogy

This visualization is based on several historical accounts.

Exponents

15th century

  • Swami Haridas Dagar

16th century

  • Gadadhar Pandey alias Masnad Ali Khan Dagar
  • Gyandhar Pandey alias Surgyan Khan Dagar

17th century

  • Rahim Baksh Khan Dagar, father and guru of Baba Gopal Das.

18th century

  • Baba Gopal Das alias Imam Baksh Khan Dagar
  • Haider Khan Dagar, son and disciple of Baba Gopal Das.
  • Behram Khan Dagar, son and disciple of Baba Gopal Das.
  • Addan Khan, daughter and disciple of Baba Gopal Das.

19th century

20th century

21st century