With India becoming independent and princely States losing their power and wealth, traditional structures of patronage to music suddenly crumbled. At this juncture, All India Radio (Akashwani) came forward to fill the vacuum and made a historic contribution in preserving and promoting Indian music in all its forms – classical, folk and popular. Luckily, B. V. Keskar, a trained Dhrupad singer holding a D. Litt. from Sorbonne, was appointed Information and Broadcasting Minister by Jawaharlal Nehru and he remained at the helm for a full ten years between 1952 and 1962.
Keskar took the initiative to start the weekly National Programme of Music in 1952 and the annual Akashwani Sangeet Sammelan in 1954. On a chosen day, concerts are organised for invited audience at different centres of the All India Radio located in all the four corners of the country and they are broadcast later according to a fixed schedule. This year, the Sangeet Sammelan was at 24 centres on October 10.
At Delhi’s Chinmaya Mission auditorium, famed dhrupad exponents Gundecha Brothers (Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha) opened the evening with Khamaj thaat sampoorna raga Jaijaiwanti that employs both gandhars and both nishads. They went on to present a soulful, methodically elaborated and meditative alap in the nom-tom style. It was a treat to listen to the way they establish the sangati between the mandra saptak pancham with the madhya saptak rishabh, thus bringing out the essential flavour of the raga. They were in perfect command and sang as if one was the extension of the other. This is how jugalbandi should be where both the singers sing in a way as if they are in reality one and not two individuals. Always tuneful, the Gundecha Brothers have brought back sweetness to dhrupad singing. They have learnt from highly acclaimed dhrupad exponents of the Dagurbani – Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar – and have obviously assimilated the best elements of their art into their own style.
Unlike khayal, dhrupad does not boast of gharanas. In the course of its development, four major styles of dhrupad singing emerged and Dagur was one of them, the others being Khandar, Nauhar and Gobarhar. Dagurbani was specially known for its alapchari and treatment of the composition with sweetness and feeling. The family of Zia Fariduddin – who belonged to the 19 generation of dhrupad singers – devoted itself so completely to the art that it became identified with the Dagurbani and Dagar became the family name.
Little wonder that Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha’s presentation was very evocative.
They sang so seamlessly that when they accelerated the tempo and entered the domain of jod, one did not even feel it. After soaking in the alap, they sang a chautaal dhrupad that dealt with the Radha-Krishna lore. Their layakari and bol-baant were impressive. After making a comprehensive survey of Jaijaiwanti, the duo swooped on raga Shivranjani and presented a composition in Sultaal. They concluded their recital with a prayer to Shiva in raga Malkauns.
This too was set to Sultaal. Akhilesh Gundecha accompanied them on the pakhawaj with grace and dexterity.
