When Music and Life Are One...

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Saeeduddin Dagar, a Maestro of Dhrupad, is entering into 70th Year of his life. A introduction to a Sounvenir, which is published in the Honour of him:

One such evening he sat on the serene banks of the Ganges, with the Sun going down, and splashing the colours on the canopy of the vast sky. The day hadn't finished yet and the night was taking birth from the womb of the horizon. The quietness was immense and the vastness timeless. The atmosphere was silent and yet it had a hymn that easily entered his mind. “Shree” raga was its earthly expression. The moment collapsed into rise of the Moon and the night began. He decided to quit Kolkata and music, both, instantly.

Sayeeduddin Dagar, was 25 years old then and the year 1964. The immediate following day he went to Lucknow and found a menial job in Railway Services on Rs 3 a day. The outward world required a living that his inner world of Dhrupad Music couldn't provide. It was a conflict of tremendous pain and sorrow so deep, that each day before the dawn began, darkness would spring a Bairaagi Bhairav and would tell him, a ray shall begin the day. But that hope didn't mean he would surrender, certainly not to any worldly human being, after all duality with Dhrupad never existed for him. Finally one fine day, his uncle had to call him back. The preaching began, again.

Life was simpler and and much more beautiful before his father Hussenuddin Dagar or Bakaji died. But at that time, it was a taalim that seemed so rigorous, almost 10-12 hours a day, practice of 5040 Merkhand Style tanas, in each term of 40 days. Even sickness required a permission. A training of physical hardship that was just the prelude to what life had to offer him later, both physically and emotionally. Baakaji was teaching him the tradition that his ancestors had preserved for almost 500 years.

Dhrupad is perhaps the most ancient discipline of Indian classical music that has its roots in Saamveda and has it own style of expression. It is the soulful, deep alapi of pensive inward joyousness transcending the worldly matters of manifestations, and constantly on the voyage of the notes that strike the expanse of the universe and heart of the existence, both at once and at each progression. It is this search of eternity, in the contours of infinite perception of the human mind, touching the primordial sound when everything began – the surreal permanency or Dhrupad.

Ustaadji is the 19th representative of the Dagar dynasty, for which Dhrupad is everything. Does life have a choice, too? It is for everyone else to ponder, not Ustaadji, whose life and music are one. For what else, the pangs of life has not made him bitter, but has only strengthened his unconditioned love for Dhrupad. Still, in a country like India, where music has spiritual importance, an artist of this talent, depth and exquisite perfection would have had to go through severity of life can not be left to circumstances only, it also requires introspection for each one of those, who proclaim to be Indian classical music lover.

Dagars are associated with Dhrupad so synonymously for years that, it would be very important to have this tradition passed over for people across and for generations to come, as knowledge, philosophy and discipline of music. Perhaps, a documentation of this kind will evolve, enrich it further as it gets imbibed in many minds. So this is everybody's effort, known or unknown, which will be a tribute to Dhrupad and Ustadji's devotional life.

For all those, Ustaadji is an undisputed icon of Dhrupad of our times entering into 71st year of his life. This souvenir is a very small effort to put his life and music into an omnibus – a collection of articles by connoisseurs of music and Dhrupad. We also intend to make it in the form of a reference for Dhrupad for its lovers and students. And of course, it has the moments in Guruji's life and the voyage that never had a beginning and has no ending.