Devoted to Dhrupad
JAYA NARAYANAN PISHAROTY
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The Gundecha brothers are on a mission to promote and nourish Dhrupad music.
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Photo: K.K. Najeeb
TIES OF MUSIC: The Gundecha brothers at their recital in Thrissur.
Clad in immaculate saffron silk kurtas, the Gundecha Brothers, Umakant and Ramakant, complemented each other in their response to queries too. The duo, who were in Thrissur for a Dhrupad recital, spoke about themselves, their music, its past and present and the bright future they not only foresee but also hope to mould.
The brothers explained that the term `Dhrupad' derives from Dhruva Pada - poetry. This indicates an emphasis on maintaining purity of ragas and swaras. Umakant explains, "Dhrupad was not originally intended to entertain an audience." It was spiritual in nature and a medium of intense devotion. "The Sama Veda was sung as Sama Gana, which later evolved into `Chanda' and `Prabandha,' where verse and meter were combined." By the 11th century, Dhrupad existed in its present identity. "It was the origin of all forms of Hindustani music. The lyrics were in Sanskrit, which later gave way to Brijbhasha, Bundeli and Madhyadesi. Now we find a synthesis of Hindi and Urdu," says Ramakant.
In keeping with their mission to promote and nourish their art, the brothers have set up a Dhrupad Institute in Bhopal.
"There are 15 full-time students, four of them girls." Every two years they plan to introduce a new singer to the music world. "I foresee a very bright future for Dhrupad," says Umakant.
Voice culture
The two systems - `Dagar Gharana' and `Darbhanga Gharana' differ from each other in the matter of voice culture training. The `Darbhanga Gharana' makes mathematical improvisations in the Tala system, they said.
The main raga of their Dhrupad recital was Sree. The Gundecha brothers began with an impressive alaap. In the sthai and antara, an extensive delineation of the lower and higher notes was presented. The abhog and the sanchari added to the fullness of the alaap. The vilambit, madhya and drut laya (slow, medium and fast pace) were demonstrated with the words, `Aaj rang bheejan lagi.' `Sandhya Sanjeevani' in raga Shivaranjini was replete with the silent grandeur of a riverside temple at dusk. A spiritual mood was set by the composition in praise of the Gayatri mantra. Shiva Stuti in Attana burst forth with the energy and the veera bhava of the thandava.
Akhilesh, the youngest of the three brothers, accompanied them on the pakhawaj, Aruna Gundecha and Sradha Gundecha on the tanpura. After the concert, the brothers expressed the hope that the popularisation of Dhrupad would help bridge the cultural gap between North and South India. The recital was organised by Thalam Cultural Trust, in association with Vivekananda Sangeeta Sadas,
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