USTAD F. WASIFUDDIN DAGAR
Dagarvani
Dhrupad Exponent
Lineage and
training
Born on 15 April 1969 at New Delhi, F. Wasifuddin Dagar represents the
20th unbroken generation of dhrupad singers in the Dagar family. He is
the nephew of Ud. N. Zahiruddin Dagar and son of Ud. N. Faiyazuddin
Dagar the grandson of both legendary Ud. Nasiruddin Dagar from paternal
side and Ud. Hussainuddin Dagar from maternal side. It has been a long
tradition in the family to imbibe knowledge from all the elders,
irrespective of direct or indirect lineage. They pass on the subtle
aspects of the Dagarvani heritage which will make a full-fledged
performer. Wasif had the good fortune in his tender age to meet and sit
with Padma Bhushan Ud. Rahimuddin Khan Dagar, his Chacha Saheb, his
grandfather’s younger brother. Chacha Saheb saw Wasif’s innate talent
despite his very tender age and predicted him a bright future; thus he
encouraged Wasif to accompany him during music sessions and recordings,
he developed a special affection for him. Other elders also played a
role in his growing into music. Wasif’s eldest uncle, Ud. N. Aminuddin
Dagar, the real elder brother of his father and uncle, has always been
a great source of inspiration and encouragement. His cousin-uncle Ud.
Z. Mohiuddin Dagar having followed his progress presented him with a
tanpura after his first public concert, a significant acknowledgement
by an elder. At present, in the same spirit, he keeps benefiting from
the knowledge, experience and guidance of Ud. R. Fahimuddin Dagar and
Ud. Z. Fariduddin Dagar and Ud. H. Sayeeduddin Dagar.
Since the age of five his systematic training unfolded under his uncle
Ud. N. Zahiruddin Dagar and his father Ud. N. Faiyazuddin Dagar,
worldwide known as DAGAR BROTHERS. They presented him in a Guru Shishya
Festival at Bharat Bhawan in Bhopal. His first program in Delhi was
infact in the Dhrupad Samaroh in 1989. After the sudden passing away of
his father, he was given the responsibility to sit next to his uncle,
which he did with utmost dedication. Since then Wasif has not looked
back.
He was further groomed by his uncle intensively and taught the crucial
aspects of jugalbandi, the duo singing being a speciality of the Dagar
family, generation by generation. As “Dagar Duo” they toured
extensively in India and abroad (Japan, Europe and other South-East
Asian countries). The French Television made a film on their life and
music titled “DAGARVANI” (1992). Together they cut CDs in Switzerland
(1989), India (1991), and America (1994) with major recording labels.
Since the demise of his uncle in 1994, Wasifuddin is carrying on the
DAGARVANI tradition in solo: his rendition of dhrupad is a unique blend
of his uncle’s training, his father’s quality of voice and temperament,
his own personality and his in-depth knowledge of the characteristic
styles of his elders. Typically in his alap, he fills every note with
space and colour, he travels extensively and easily across three
octaves delineating the personality of the raga in all clarity. His
powerful gamaks are fast and sonorous, yet retain the softness and
sweetness of the raga. Over the years, he developed a liking for
numerous subtle variations and musical improvisations on a single
phrase bringing out, through modulations in volume and sound
application, many diverse shades of meaning. The overall effect of his
singing is a middle path, merging techniques and styles of both his
gurus. He is very popular with young listener for his lively
lecture-demonstrations illustrating vedic-old technicalities through
metaphors from daily life.
He performs regularly in India and abroad for government formal events,
private and official festivals, and also for radio and television. He
recorded in India for Music Today with his uncle and also in solo; and
features in solo for an American film on World Devotional Music.
In 1998, on a concert tour to Europe, he performed for the UNESCO, and
gave concerts, workshops and lessons in France, Holland, Belgium,
Switzerland and Hungary.
In February 1999, he performed in Maheshwar, the city near Indore where
his grandfather, the legendary Ustad Nasiruddin Khan Dagar was a Court
Musician. There, he recorded for a Swiss music company an album wherein
he has performed several ragas, singing each raga at its appropriate
time, thereby making for a unique recording which was released in
October 1999.
From 2000 onward he has toured regularly in India, Europe, Japan
and America. His recent recordings include: Publications by RAGA
RECORDS released in New York in 2001, UNESCO released by NAÏVE, in
June 2003; and a live concert to released by SENSE, UK and a new
recording to be released by India Music Archive, USA. He has also been
awarded ‘Virasat’ (heritage) and ‘Rajasthan Gaurav’ (Honor of
Rajasthan) by the City of Jaipur,Rajasthan, INDIA. As self-employed
musician, apart from performing and touring, he teaches vocal dhrupad
in the Guru-Shishya Parampara at his residence.
Contact Information: 379 Asiad Village, New Delhi 110 049 – INDIA Ph:
91-11-2649 3295; Tel/Fax: 91-11-2649 2886
Email: WasifDagar-At-hotmail-dot-com
Recent Concerts and Tours
2000:
EUROPE
- Performed at the prestigious Theatre de la Ville in Paris and
toured Belgium and Holland for workshops and concerts;
- Interviewed on Radio France Internationale in Paris;
UNITED STATES
- Visited the United States at the invitation of the World Music
Institute (WMI) including concerts at prestigious institutions in New
York, Chicago, Boston, Washington;
- Recorded a lecture-demonstration for the radio program of John
Schaefer, “New Sounds” on WNYC that was broadcast on July 24 and
simultaneously webcast;
- Lecture-demonstration for the Interfaith Center in New York;
- Workshop at the Sufi Books Center in Broadway, NY;
- Lecture-demonstration for International Television (ITV) in
New York
- Concert for the UNITED NATIONS World Peace Summit of Religious
and Spiritual Leaders during their General Assembly in New York from 28
till 30 August 2000;
BANGLADESH
- November 2000, Concert and llecture/demonstration tour to
Bangladesh at the invitation of the Indian High Commission.
2001:
UNITED STATES
- Released in America his first live concert in New York, as a
CD, by Raga Records;
- May/June tour to America:
- Performed on 8 May 2001 for the Dalai Lama’s World Festival of
Sacred Music in New York co-curated by Philip Glass and John Schaeffer
of WNYC. The recording is available on the Web on the following address
www.WNYC.org.
- Gave a Lecture-Demonstration on the 10th May for the
Interfaith Centre, New York, Manhattan.
- Performance for the World Music Institute in New York on 11th
May as part of the Dhrupad Festival;
- Performance for the Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of
Art on the 18th May in Washington D.C.
EUROPE
- September 2001, Performances and Lecture-Demonstration in
Switzerland.
2002:
EUROPE
- March-April, lectures and recording for Radio France
Internationale in Paris
JAPAN
- October-November, concert tour to Japan
2003:
EUROPE
May-July 2003
- concerts and workshop in Paris (Sufi Centre, University Paris
3)
- concert in Amsterdam at the Tropical Institute
- workshops in Belgium and Holland
- concerts during the Festival at Schloss Moyland, Germany
- concert at Autigny, Switzerland in a series of classical music
recitals.
- lecture and master class followed by concert at the College de
France in Paris
- conferred the title and medal given to Professors lecturing at
the College de France, Paris, most ancient and reputed Open University
in Europe
- concerts during the Festival at the Rietberg Museum, Zurich
- official release of CD in the UNESCO Collection “Traditional
Music of the World” followed by a concert at the UNESCO, Paris. This CD
got the “top ranking” “CHOC” distinction by Le Monde de la Musique in
September 2003
- lecture/demonstrations and concerts in Finland during the
Kuhmo Chamber Music festival
UNITED STATES
September/October 2003
- concert for World Music Institute, New York
- concert for the Indian Academy for Performing Arts, New Jersey
- concert and lecture-demonstration at Seattle University and at
UCLA, Los Angeles
- private workshop on dhrupad in New York before
psychotherapists and psychologists on the importance of music and pure
notes in healing patients suffering from various disorders and how the
various organs of the body respond to notes.
2004:
INDIA
- Concert tour of Rajasthan for SPIC-MACAY
- Concert for Sangeet Natak Akademi, Gujarat.
- Workshop with practicing doctors in New Delhi on the
importance of
music to relieve stress through invocation of pure sound
and technique.
EUROPE
- Concert tour of Portugal where dhrupad was introduced
for the first time
AMERICA
- Concert tour of America, with special accent on
interaction in Universities: Yale, Davidson College (N.C.), Urbana
Champaign.
PAKISTAN
- Concert tour on the invitation of the Indian High
Commission and ICCR to Pakistan: Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi..
2005:
INDIA
- Concert in Kolkata at the Ramakrishna Mission for
Vivekananda’s birthday
- Concert in Ahmedabad for SAPTAK FESTIVAL
EUROPE
- Workshop and Concert tour of Portugal and Spain (Salamanca)
UNITED STATES
- Concert tour planned for october-november.
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