Dhrupad in today's times

(From left) Ramakant Gundecha and his brother Umakant have kept the Dhrupad legacy alive

Hindustani classical music summons manifold layers and sub-genres. If devotion and spirituality form the coating, Dhrupad - the oldest existing form - concludes the genus. It is the precursor to Khyal, which later became popular. Being a niche form, it had fewer takers but the tradition is still alive. How? Ahead of a workshop in the city, ace Dhrupad singers Umakant and Ramakant Gundecha, better known as Gundecha Brothers, shared the secret behind the genre's success.

Dhrupad's origin lies in ancient Sanskrit texts, which catered to the idea of worship.

The Gundecha Brothers fine-tuned their Dhrupad skills from 1981 under Ustad Zia Fariddudin Dagar and his brother, Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar - one of the primeval Dhrupad families in India. "Since Dhrupad wasn't taught as much as Khyal, it remained confined to traditional families. In the past, every musician used to learn Dhrupad. It was the grammar to understand sur (tune), laya (tempo), taal (beat) and raga (the melodic mode). I believe one should learn Dhrupad before stepping into other Indian Classical subjects for it provides a certain kind of voice culture," reasons Ramakant.

"Many youngsters want to learn Dhrupad. At Dhrupad Sansthan in Bhopal [where they teach], around 40 international and Indian students are learning the genre," he informs. "The philosophy of our music keeps changing with each student. These days, there are practitioners who relate Dhrupad to yoga. Dhrupad comes from Sama Veda chants [the sacred Sanskrit text]," says Umakant. The students at the institute have taken the legacy forward. Bihar Brothers (Sanjeev Jha and Manish Kumar), Amita Sinha Mahapatra and Aliya Rasheed (fromâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Pakistan) are a few of the leading exponents of Dhrupad today.
ON: May 12 (6 pm to 8 pm) to May 13 (4 pm to 6 pm)
AT: NCPA, Nariman Point.
CALL: 66223813
COST: Rs 1,000 (max 8 participants)