~ft£ \\t S>'\ M ' ^*? " 3 »-9»*>) AMITCHAKRAVARTY Suanshu Khurana nal veena" - the Saraswati veena, which is to Bahauddin. Dagar started volunteering at Spicmacay's popular because of its association with the Dhrupad is usually associated with vocal, concerts and jazz festivals. In 1990, ZM goddess. "The rudra veena belonged to the music, but in the Dagar tradition, beenkars Dagar died. Over the next 40 days, his fa­ OURS BEFORE his concert this Diwan-e-Khas (hall of private audiences) - (veena performers) acquired significance, ther's lessons kept coming back to the col­ month for'students of The just about 25 people would listen to it. Now, too. Much of that credit belongs to lege-going Dagar in fleeting moments. He Shri Ram School, Delhi jTjdra_ it's available for the masses, too, through var- Bahauddin's father, Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, or started practising the first raga, Yaman, again veena exponent Bahauddin " ious festivals and YouTube," he says. ZM Dagar, who modified and redesigned the and again, while getting concerts on the side. DagaPrnakes it clear that he Despite a surname that has become syn­ rudra veena. An ancient instrument, dating "People would say, 'Bahauddin has come, Hdoes not play rhymes or familiar songs when onymous with dhrupad, Bahauddin stays back to lord Shiva in many lores, the rudra He'll play Yaman.' But I didn't care," says performing for children — unlike a few clas­ away from the spotlight, performing at a veena was, traditionally, not played in public Dagar, who debuted at a concert in sical musicians who do so to make their mu­ handful of concerts only. His recent Spicmacay and used by the vocalists, instead, to practise Mumbai's Elphinstone College in 1991. sical form accessible. "That's no way of gen­ concerts—six back-to-back concerts over six melodies. Zia Mohiuddin modified the struc­ Renowned music critic Mohan Nadkarni erating interest They may doze off tomorrow days in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Yamunanagar, ture by enlarging the tumbas (guards) and was present at the concert, when Dagar with my music But the next time they see a Saharanpur, Delhi and Ghaziabad, are a rarity, the hollow neck, and made the instrument made a mistake while playing raga rudra veena, they'll know this instrument," says Bahauddin, whose command over the much larger for better resonance. Created by Saraswati. But Nadkarni, who knew his fa­ says 48-year-old Bahauddin. Children, he deep notes of the ancient string instrument the famed instrument maker Kanhai Lai ther well, spared him with a small warning. says, are better listeners and ask better ques-1 has made him one of the finest dhrupad mu­ sometime in the 70s or '80s, it weighed 10 Dagar later continued learning from his un­ tions. He is less patient with adults. "I cannot sicians in the country. kg by the time it was ready for use. cle Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar and from his field questions like what is your favourite Dhrupad has always found fewer takers Bahauddin began, however, by learning father's friend and filmmaker, Mani Kaul - raga," he says with a wry laugh. compared to the more popular khayal and the sitar from his mother, Pramila Dagar, Kaul had spent nine years learning from Zia When we meet him at Spicmacay thumri. The slow unfolding of the alaap at when he was 10 years old. "According to Mohiuddin and Zia Fariduddin, before mak­ Foundation chairperson Rashmi Malik's res­ the start, the absence of poetry orbandish, or my father, 1 needed to first build up my cal­ ing the film Dhrupad (1983). For two years, idence in Delhi, Bahauddin is dressed in an that of taans and sargams have not helped its luses if I were to take the veena seriously. every Sunday, Dagar would sit down with off-white kurta pyjama, with his hair cause. It is slow, austere and an invocation. So, I learned the basic bandishs for two- Kaul and polisti his art to perfection. "I also combed back neatly and tied. He begins by "Many a time, people know of a raag through PHOTO COURTESY: BAHAUDDINDAGAR.WEBS.COM and-a-half years on the sitar," he says. began listening to a lot of Carnatic music. saying that he was hesitant when Oscar-win­ a bandish. If it's Ari eri aali, they say it's Yaman SULTANS OF STRING Growing up, Dagar listened to The Beatles, Famed Carnatic musician and percussionist ning composer AR Rahman approached him (night raga, often taught to beginners in Madonna and many other contemporary Palghat Raghu used to come and teach me in Bahauddin Dagar with his father, the late ZM Dagar earlier this year to be a part of Harmony with Hindustani classical music). They do not ¥ musicians which are not usually heard of Chembur (in Mumbai)," says Dagar. AR Rahman, a five-part Amazon Prime series know what Yaman is but they do know that in a classical musician's home. "My father Appreciation and recognition eventually hosted by Rahman and featuring a different this poetry belongs there. Dhrupad does not never said no to listening to something. I'd started coming in. About 15 years ago, musician in each episode. "I didn't have have that identity, but it does not bother me," go to my room and play rock and metal on Bahauddin began to teach. "But I realised much idea about what this show could or says Bahauddin. full blast," he says. that the exchange of money (with teaching) could not do, or if rudra veena and Rahman's The Dagars' dhrupad tradition traces its On many occasions, ZM Dagar welcomed cannot work. The learning isn't organic," electronic fingerboard could ever find com­ history back to Baba Gopal Das Pandey, fa­ open discussions in the house about the pos­ says Bahauddin. Some years ago, he left his mon ground," says Bahauddin. He eventu­ ther of Ustad Behram Khan - known to be sibilities of dhrupad. "My father listened to Chembur home and moved to a house in ally warmed up to the concept of the show the pioneer of the Dagar musical gharana. Bahauddin's command over the atrocious recordings sometimes. 1 would say, Palaspa, a tiny village in Raigad district, and even collaborated with him for a piece. The story goes, the then Mughal ruler in deep notes of the ancient string 'How do you manage to listen to this?'. He'd Maharashtra. Bahauddin lives and teaches "Here was someone who was trying to con­ Delhi, Muhammad Shah Rangila once of­ say, Take the good bits from this. See what in this house which his father had built in nect with the common people. Most do not fered a paan to Gopal Das, which he accepted. instrument, rudra veena, has you can learn out of it You can't expect every­ 1982 originally, as a dhrupad gurukul where know the difference between a guitar and a As a result, he was ostracised by the Brahmin one to know everything. Everyone has a dif­ a handful of students could live. "Our music veena. This show fnay have helped people to community and later converted. Today, the made him one of the finest ferent school of thought Mark and learn'," needs a certain solitude for the sadhana and know that there is something called a rudra Dagars remain the oldest family practising says Dagar. By the age of 16, with a founda­ that's what I get here. Music needs to be veena. To me, even that is enough," says dhrupad, popularised by the much revered dhrupad musicians in the country tion in sitar and a taste for rock music, too, learnt without any pressure of a career. Bahauddin, who often gets asked the differ­ senior Dagar brothers - Nasir Moinuddin Bahauddin decided to be a musician. That's when if II have depth. That"s when the ence between a rudra veena and "the origi­ Dagar and Aminuddin Dagar, uncles By the time he was in college, the young magic, slowly, unfolds," says Bahauddin. .