Miyan ki Todi – Bombay 1968

The honorific Dagar is synonym¬ous with dhrupad, one of the world’s oldest classical vocal genres. Zia Mohiuddin, who died in 1990, was a foremost player of the rudra veena (or been) – one of India’s oldest lutes, which is closely related to the vocal tradition. His brother Zia Fariduddin (born in 1932 and one of dhrupad’s oldest living exponents) performed this rare duet in Bombay, as Mumbai was then known, way back in 1968. This is truly a priceless recording, not only in that it takes place in the intimate surroundings of the maestros’ home but also because one gets that delicious feeling of eavesdropping on what is strictly a private and intimate early morning affair between the performers and their recordists. Representing the 20th generation of dhrupad performers from a family that has almost single-handedly preserved and nurtured the tradition, the two Dagars perform an exquisite ‘Miyan ki Todi’, an early morning raga, composed by the legendary court musician Tansen, who was a favourite of the 16th century Mughal emperor Akbar. Needless to say, this is an absolute must for dhrupad fans and is best heard at sunrise, when the vina and vocals seem to merge, becoming one and the same sound – almost as though the musicians themselves had ceased to exist.