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The primordial sound
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Unhurried alaaps, the meditative ring of the nom-tom syllables, the energetic gamaks, and the majestic pakhawaj providing the rhythm lend profundity to the dhrupad form. Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha, disciples of the legendary Dagar Bandu, in a conversation with DEEPA GANESH, argue that the strength of their performance comes from their ability to interpret each other's musical idioms.
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Openness to other forms of music has led the Gundecha brothers to smoothen the tonal quality of their music and further enhance its meditative quality. _ Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
THE DHRUPAD is perhaps the oldest among the existing genres of North Indian classical music. However, today, the form is so synonymous with the Dagar family that it may be hard for someone to believe it existed much before the Dagar family came to be. There is little doubt that the khayal form of music, very gradually, edged out dhrupad between the 18th and 20th centuries.
Dhrupad as a form is marked by dignity and majesty of emotion. One cannot, perhaps, deny that it represents the most severe and noble style in Indian classical music. Says Alan Danilou, a Western scholar of Indian music: "Its verbal and emotional dignity is conveyed by slow, elephantine movements and with utmost economy of flourishes and decorations."
What then led to the decline of such a grand form? That it was getting lost in technicalities and its soul was lost in the dry mathematics of rhythm is commonsense now. These changes came, perhaps, in the years when the khayal made its entry. Dhrupad got eclipsed by other romantic and virtuosi styles of music, and therefore, musicians who practised the form took to doubling the taal. Rhythm gained over feeling, which was opposed to the very nature of this prayerful form. Musicologists observe that this change robbed the dhrupad of its emotional appeal, and thus khayal gained popularity.
By the 20th Century, dhrupad had become the preserve of a few families, who were also looked upon as the guardians of this philosophy. But since the mid-1970s, as a result of broader re-evaluation, there is a revival of interest in dhrupad. With the younger members of the Dagar family, disciples, and other families, dhrupad is slowly making an effort to reclaim its position at the centre of the Indian musical tradition.
It was on this note of reassurance that a conversation with the Gundecha Brothers, Umakant and Ramakant, who have emerged as the torchbearers of the great tradition, began. The illustrious siblings were in the City last week as part of the 75th birthday celebrations of musician Lalitha Ubhaykar.
The music of the Gundecha Brothers is marked by austerity, melody, and an emphasis that takes a listener back to the dhrupad's timeless roots. It is also heartening that while the brothers are absolutely concerned in retaining the pristine purity of the form, they are also given to a modern outlook and new ideas. In fact, they have adapted Hindi poetry by Nirala, Kabir, Mirabai, and Tulsi Das to dhrupad, which no other musician has tried. Isn't that a difficult task? How do these poems fit into the inherent meter of dhrupad? "We did a lot of homework and chose only those poems that suit the emotion of dhrupad. For instance, in Nirala's works, we chose those that were in the chchand form, that could be set to seven, 10, and 12 beats."
Dhrupad can never be defined as a single entity. It can be understood as a type of song, as a kind of singing, and as a philosophy of a musical performance. What then is dhrupad essentially? "It is a philosophy of music and the oldest form of musical expression," explains Umakant, putting the form into a perspective. "It is a kind of prayer. So the mood of this music is not one of entertainment, but an offering to God. Perhaps that could be considered as the guideline of dhrupad," adds Ramakant, the more outspoken of the two. Ustad Fariduddin Dagar once said: "The ancient art is not for entertainment, but only for the delight of the God, inherent in the singer and the listener." Then, going by this, does one assume that this is the reason for the decline in the popularity of the dhrupad form? Did it lose out to khayal because it demands a greater degree of seriousness? Was the form in some way elitist in its approach?
"If the dhrupad singers had worked with some foresight, it would not have faced such a crisis. The great maestros of Khayal, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan Saab, Mogubai Kurdikar, Kesarbai Kelkar, and Ustad Amir Khan did a lot to propagate the style. What did the dhrupad singers do? If music is confined to a family, where then is the question of it becoming popular? The family will have its limitations, won't it?" asks Ramakant. Besides, Fariduddin Dagar Saab's words are not to be taken literally, he says. "He is talking about the basic nature of the form itself."
For the brothers, auditorium is the temple and audience their God. "What our guru means is that there should be an understanding between the listener and the performer. So that they share a common platform," they maintain. However, as they say this, the Gundecha brothers have no illusions about the present-day scenario. "It is very important to sustain and keep your audience seat-bound," they reason. With any audience, and there is certainly not a large number for dhrupad, musicians must be able to strike a rapport, is what the brothers believe.
Many musicians trained in the dhrupad style took to khayal to be able to reach better. Noted singer Pandit Dinakar Kaikini is one such. Though his rendition of the alaap is in the dhrupad style, the rest of the performance is in the khayal tradition. "I think his dilemma was between khayal and dhrupad. It is like Agra Gharana adopting the dhrupad. But if you are trying to say that dhrupad has no place for creativity, then I don't agree with that," avers Ramakant. The brothers then hold forth on how the gurus of most khayal singers were originally trained in dhrupad and went on to blend the two styles naturally.
Dhrupad has undergone many changes over the years. For instance, traditionally it is made of four parts: sthayee, antara, sanchari, and abhog. But now only the sthyaee and antara are sung. "This change has come with the performance in mind. The sanchari and abhog are the theoretical aspects of dhrupad and may be too heavy for a concert," elucidate the Gundechas. It is also a general complaint that a right hand beat on the pakhawaj is introduced over the nom-tom aalap of the dhrupad to give it a pop-feel. But the brothers deny it completely. "This is not a deviation from tradition at all," stresses Ramakant, and explains how even the great masters did it. "When we land on the jod, there is beat also, unlike in the alaap. And when this is translated to a rhythm on the pakhawaj, what is wrong? It becomes more enjoyable and more understandable," emphasises the older Gundecha.
Curiously, dhrupad has hardly produced women musicians, with the single exception of Ashgari Bai.
The conservative gurus of yore were, perhaps, not too willing to teach women.
Also, not many were initiated into the form, particularly women who had compulsions of marriage. "Not to lose heart. We have four women learning from us and they are very promising!" they proudly announce.
Western audiences are now hooked on to dhrupad in a big way and are often fascinated by the fact that somebody can sing a raga for two hours, that too without any notations.
They come up to the brothers and ask what every gesture of theirs mean, and when they say that they are spontaneous, an indication of being totally immersed, they are awed. "They don't understand it, but they feel it," says Umakant.
With dhrupad regaining its popularity, listening to it means making a fashion statement. And the Gundecha brothers have no problem with it. "If it begins like that, it is okay. They will gradually be groomed to good listeners genuinely interested in the form."
Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha are setting up a dhrupad school in Bhopal. These stalwarts, who will be responsible in determining the future of the form in a big way, have a rather humble dream.
All they want are students determined to make a career in dhrupad, and Gundechas are willing to shoulder all mundane responsibilities.
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