Immerse yourself in the ancient and meditative world of Dhrupad, presented majestically by the renowned Gundecha Brothers. This exquisite performance features the soul-stirring vocals of Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha, accompanied by the masterful pakhawaj players Akhilesh Gundecha and Shrikant Mishra. From the serene Raga Behag to the divine Raga Adana, experience the rich textures and deep spiritual resonance of this timeless tradition. Join us on this musical journey and explore the depths of Dhrupad with the Gundecha Brothers.
#Shiva #Gundechabros #shivratrispecial #mahashivratri2024 #senseworldmusic
Artist:
Umakant Gundecha - Vocals
Ramakant Gundecha - Vocals
Akhilesh Gundecha - Pakhawaj
Shrikant Mishra - Pakhawaj
Recorded at Virtual Studios, Sanjaya, Gujarat (India)
Executive Producer - Alpesh Patel
Produced, Mixed and Mastered in the U.K by - Derek Roberts
Assistant Engineer - Krishna Shirgaonkar
VFX By - Varun Creations | Vijay Dave
Photography - Deko
Thanks to - The team at Virtual Studios, Kanti Dattani and Verity Sharp (BBC Radio 3 / Late Junction) for inspired radio.
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Dhrupad is the oldest and most profound style of singing still surviving in Northern India. It is thought to have evolved during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries when Northern India endured a series of invasions by Muslim rulers from Asia Minor on a crusade to spread the Islamic religion throughout the region. Following these invasions and the subsequent cultural amalgamation, Indian music developed two distinctive systems: Hindustani Music of the North, and Carnatic Music of the South.
Dhrupad was the dominant form of vocal music in North India until the eighteenth century, when it began to be overtaken by the lighter, more florid vocal style known as khayal. At the current time, vocalists performing in the khayal style vastly outnumber those singing in the dhrupad tradition. The revival in the popularity of dhrupad has been due to the endeavours of the Dagar family.
The brothers Ramakant (left pic) and Umakant Gundecha are widely recognised as the leading exponents of the new generation of dhrupad singers. Their performances are now a regular highlight of music festivals in India and abroad.
In this performance recorded on the 6th January 2004, producer Derek Roberts has worked with the Gundecha Brothers at Virtual Studios for the first time. The facilities at Virtual, which is owned by Sense, have allowed Derek Roberts to work in a new way with dhrupad. This beautiful recording captures all the delicate nuances of the music in a detailed way whilst maintaining the live interaction so essential in this music.
The Gundecha Brothers have chosen to sing the popular evening raga, Behag. A typical dhrupad performance consists of two main elements: Alap and Bandish, which comes in the form of a dhrupad or dhamar composition. The alap introduces us to the personality of the raga. Initially the emphasis is laid on resting on single swaras (notes) combined with slow and smooth glides between the notes. The alap itself is divided into three sections. The initial slow interpretative unfolding of the raga is followed by jor, in which a regular pulse is introduced. The melodic and rhythmic patterns become more ornate and complex as the jor proceeds. The exploration of sound is through the use of specific syllables such as te, re, nom, tom which are derived from ancient Hindu shlokas (prayers) and have deep spiritual significance. The concluding part of the alap is jhalla (or chaugun). Here the improvisations take on a very lively, dynamic form, using a distinctive oscillation of the voice known as gamak. Here, the brothers have sung a composition known as dhamar, which is considered to be a shade lighter and more romantic than dhrupad, and is usually based on the theme of the Holi festival. The lyrics of these songs hail the arrival of spring, love and pleasure and describe the amorous play of Krishna. The composition is set to dhamar taal, a rhythmic cycle of fourteen beats. For rhythmic accompaniment Ramakant and Umakantare joined by two outstanding pakhawaj players including their younger brother, Akhilesh. Pakhawaj is a large barrel shaped drum and a precursor of the popular tabla. Its resounding, majestic open tone makes it well suited to dhrupad singing.
Dhamar text:-
'Kanha se tum mada pee aaye ho, Sanwaro jani bidh paga dharata dagamagat
Abir gulal son mukha rang, Layo Bolata hon bachana latapatat.’
Notes: John Ball
Translation: Ramakant Gundecha
6 мар 2024
