INDIA – INDE Dagar Brothers – Nasir Moinuddin Dagar & Nasir Aminuddin Dagar – Les Artistes Arabes Associés - EALP 1291

INDIA – INDE

Dagar Brothers – Nasir Moinuddin Dagar & Nasir Aminuddin Dagar – Les Artistes Arabes Associés - EALP 1291, released in 1965 (LP)

300 Posts!

 

For my 300^th post since the blog’s inception, in November 2017, I wanted to share the first LP of Hindustani Dhrupad singing I purchased in the late 1980s. Discovering this extraordinary music, believed to date back to the 12th century and rooted in the Carnatic tradition, performed here by the Senior Dagar Brothers, was a true revelation. Exquisite meditative music of the highest order reflecting values so far removed from our contemporary zeitgeist. I have recorded several pressings of this LP and this reissue on the great Franco-Algerian label Les Artistes Arabes Associés sounds the best.

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The Senior Dagar Brothers, Nasir Moinuddin Dagar (1921-1966) and Nasir Aminuddin Dagar (1923-2000), were two great classical Dagarvani Dhrupad vocalists from the highly prestigious Dagar family, whose unbroken musical lineage goes back 19 generations.

 

First trained by their father Nasiruddin Khan (1890-1936) until his premature death in 1936, they continued their musical education under Riyazuddin Khan (1885-1947) and Ziauddin Khan Dagar (1886-1946), and formed a formidable jugalbandi duo, whose fame in the 1950s and 60s helped revive the Dhrupad tradition. They also trained their younger brothers, Nasir Zahiruddin (1933–1994) and Nasir Faiyazuddin (1934–1989), who performed as the Younger Dagar Brothers.

 

The elder brothers’ deep, serene and telepathic singing carried by the tanpura’s drone, and S. V. Patwardhan’s delicate mridangam (or pakhawaj) double-sided drum on this LP, weave timeless, sensuous sonorities connected with the chanting of ancient Vedic hymns and mantras. This is essential spiritual and devotional Indian music of timeless, universal beauty.

 

After Moinuddin’s untimely death in 1966 at the age of 46, Aminuddin founded a Dhrupad school and pursued a brilliant solo career.

 

Les Senior Dagar Brothers, les frères Nasir Moinuddin Dagar (1921-1966) et Nasir Aminuddin Dagar (1923-2000), étaient deux grands chanteurs classiques du Dhrupad Dagarvani de la prestigieuse famille Dagar, dont la lignée musicale ininterrompue remontait à 19 générations.

 

D'abord formés par leur père Nasiruddin Khan (1890-1936) jusqu'à sa mort prématurée en 1936, les deux frères aînés poursuivirent leur éducation musicale sous la tutelle de Riyazuddin Khan (1885-1947) et de Ziauddin Khan Dagar (1886-1946), et formèrent un duo jugalbandi, dont la renommée dans les années 50 et 60 contribua à faire revivre la tradition Dhrupad.

 

Ils ont également formé leurs jeunes frères, Nasir Zahiruddin (1933-1994) et Nasir Faiyazuddin (1934-1989), qui chanteront également en duo connu sous le nom de Younger Dagar Brothers.

 

Sur cet album, le chant profond, serein et télépathique des deux frères aînés, porté par le bourdon du tanpura et le délicat tambour double face pakhawaj (ou mridangam) de S. V. Patwardhan, tisse des sonorités intemporelles et sensuelles liées au chant d'anciens hymnes et mantras védiques. Une musique indienne spirituelle et dévotionnelle essentielle, d'une beauté intemporelle et universelle.

 

Après la mort prématurée de Moinuddin en 1966 à l'âge de 46 ans, Aminuddin fonda une école de dhrupad et poursuivit une brillante carrière solo.

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Ustad Nasiruddin Khan (1890-1936), 

the Dagar Brothers' 

father and teacher:

Our other Dhrupad music posts:

Nasir Aminuddin Dagar – HMV EASD 1420 here 
Younger Dagar Brothers – Nassir Zahiruddin Dagar & Nassir Faiyazuddin Dagar – EALP 1334 here
Zia Mohiuddin Dagar – HMV - 7 EPE 1312 here

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar – Morgonraga – here
Chandrashekhar Naringrekar – HMV - 7 EPE 1590 here

Photograph below is from Yoga – The Art of Transformation edited by Debra Diamond, Freer / Sackler, Smithsonian, 2013:

The Seven Great Sages (Saptarishi) “were popularly believed 

to have attained their semi-divine status through 

exceptional devotion and extraordinary ascetic feats,” 

Jammu and Kashmir, Mankot, c. 1675-1700:

Please help me purchase important traditional records 

to pursue my global curation project and share the 

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