Gundecha Brothers Dhrupad vocal performance, Tokyo Summer Fe

[ThePrateekJoshi]

OM HARI NARAYAN

[drabhineetrumne]

for all those who want to listen this on flute u just type 'sameerinamdar' and see the joy. just close your eyes and listen

[drabhineetrumne]

Respected Ramakant guruji and umakant guruji, are the AVTAR of lord bholenath's son. Listening them will really cure many mental and nervine problems which is beyond medical science...Dhrupad attacks directly on our soul and connect it with the allmighty lord or say the cosmic energy........Mridang or say pakhawaj is like a neurotransmitter

[johnditta]

what a performance. great.

[vashish3187]

THIS IS WONDERFUL...HI AM FROM MAURITIUS..... I START LEARNING PAKHAWAJ... n this raga is very beautiful,,, keep it up... i hope 1 day, this grpu will come to mauritius to perform this raga

[BGIZZLEB]

NMSU



[mysticrosemale]

Wonderful. Wonderful,. Wonderful.

[rudraksha333]

ૐ OM NAMAH MAHA DEVA SHAMBHOOOOO

[abhijitbaner]

there was no followng instrument; great performance;

at the start of learning classical singing - students are taught the concept of 'naad'; that is how we practise - some of the greats over a span of 30-40 years; this sounds so divine when the two brothers produce 'naad's that span 2 octaves; wow!!

[rakeshs21]

प्रभावशाली ध्रुपद गायन .

[pranav968]

mr getmethere1 the instrument is normal tanpura.

[GatoradeIsNotJuice]

surely this must be rag darbari?

[GetMeThere1]

What are the stringed instruments the women are playing called?

[MrAmandeepsodhi]

@GetMeThere1 they are called Taanpura used to create harmony

[jasonjosephboucher]

great vocal control...impessive

[cfhasib]

wHAT IS dhrupad? anyone..?

[annleedyer]

anyone have the words to this bandish? I can make out some, but not all...

[zrpqwe]

It's one of melodious composition... Well sung by Bro...

[redandneil]

thats very ordinary singing...no variation at all........they treat every item in the same manner....this is the main reason of less popularity of dhrupad

[Ashwinswarup]

@redandneil Dhrupad is to put the singer and the listener into a meditative trance as essentially it is supposed to stir the soul into concentrating on the omnipresent. It is not supposed to be entertaining. Those arms of Indian classical music would be Khayals and Thumri. Thus to the ordinary listener it may seem repititive ( actually its not ) . Listen to it on full volume good quality headphones , itll really make a difference

[jamtuner1]

ok ok performance...very very conventional performance...i m fed of these sylables...what is the language of the aalap???? no feelings!!! purcussion guy has funny body language..cramp in neck??

[Rahul234848]

@jamtuner1 You are obviously tone deaf.. 

[orbitalba]

Excellently! Divinely!

[tripathisangeet007]

i m listening first time dhrupad in melodious way good.thanks beautiful .dhrupad ne itna sukun diya wahh good.

[kavitakaushikness]

Thumbs up @ sangeetsarita1 & ramparse

[kavitakaushikness]

Thumbs up @ sangeetsarita1

[12Nits]

awesome...I like this bhajan...very nice.

[mjfieldakld]

Sublime

[itsdgman]

Sublime!....I was lucky enough to hear them live when they came to the Caribbean recently for some performances.

[ramparse]

Dear Friends stop arguing ......and juuuuuuuuuust listen to this divine music ...

[brandonvanessa]

this is awesome!

[sangeetsarita1]

hey friends. . . I got a chance to listen to Them live in Delhi recently. . . there they sang out of notemany times and they were changing the tempo in a strange manner becoming fast sometimes and suddenly slowing down. . . and Sh. Ramakant ji missed Sam sometimes. . When Sam came he was showing 11th beat only. . I didnt expect it from them.

[panchamkauns]

Welcome to the real world, where artists are human beings who make mistakes :)

[sangeetsarita1]

@panchamkauns :

Agreed Sir ji. . a person can make a mistake once, twice thrice . . if one loves making mistakes then he/she can not say what he/she is performing is Dhrupad because Dhrupad is flawless. . . and do you know meaning of Dhrupad? It is Dhruv-Pad that is Dhruv+pad which means a pada or a phrase ( or a poem or a composition) which is like pole star ( Dhruv). It shows path to people. . . if your Dhruv is not perfect then how will people take direction from it? It has to be perfect

[MrShreyang]

@Saattvic I knw dat they r singing sultaaal here I am tlking about something else

[mlredr]

Gopesh, ignore that nutsack who goes by the handle of "kalikaputra". He fancies himself as some kind of Gundecha-cop and resident groupie.

[patbusy1]

Hey gopesh...I followed your convo with Kalikaputra with some intent...You are correct in pointing out that he is using some pretty abusive language and that is outrightly wrong...But your comments on tanpuras being tuned is probably not valid...There have been many examples of great singers tuning their tanpuras slightly off note for better clarity of voice...A famous example is Ustad Faiyaaz Khan Saab...In fact most senior Agra-Atrauli singers used to do that...

[patbusy1]

And may I also point out that your other point regarding innovations and their legitimacy....I don't know too much about dhrupad....But i was a student at BHU and I have heard Pt. Sanyal lots of times when he was the head of Vocal Music there. I have heard him experiment numerous times once i remember singing with tabla instead of Pakhawaj and do murkis...He still called it Dagarvaani....And plus what good is a music tradition which does not evolve...A classic example is Gharana gayaki in khayal

[patbusy1]

for example the great Behre Abdul Waheed Khan Saab was a Kirana doyen and so was Ustaad Abdul Karim Khan Saab and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.....but their points of exploration of a raga were quite different...We still call all of them Kirana masters....Think of the Raag Jaijawanti..The Agra Atrauli bageshree ang (which is probably a misnomer) and the more common des-ang...they sound quite different....But they were still called Jaijawanti....I don't know if you see my point but anyways...good luck!!

[mlredr]

Right you are brother. True genius is innovating while upholding tradition.

[zhdar]

mledr and kalikaputra, i am intrigued by your discourse. Similar criticisms have been levelled against the famous Qawali maestro the late Nusrate Fateh Ali Khan. Was he a revisionist/sell-out or did he serve to bring the art form to a wider audience therely widening it's appeal? Food for thought. I suppose the real point with him was that his talent was unsurpassed. What about these guys? Over to the aficianados

[kalikaputra]

MMmm nice observation.The point is simply the traditionalist not appreciating the modernist,it has always been the same.WHat i say is that the traditionalist tradition is not as traditional as they think and that they should look at the topic with a broader view.For me I am a staunch traditionalist,that appreciate the modern.hell I have an Iphone and use a car after all. ;-)

[zhdar]

Look bro if we had no evolution in music, then Tansen wouldn't have used earlier musical form to formalise the Dhrupad style. No? I think that, SOMETIMES, without commenting on this particular case, the desire to cling to the traditional is perhaps a form of intellectual snobbery. I have heard Qawali traditionalists dismiss the late great Nusrat as a commercial sell-out when musically those that they champion are not fit to wipe the skin on his tabla!

[kalikaputra]

Once again good points. Lot of these guys that think they are traditional are following something that is only 600 years old at best,compared to the more ancient history its modern. how can anyoen listen to this and say they are crap. Without Nusarat they would be playing at weddings for scraps,now qwawali is recognized as a primier art. Really sad, i say give praise were its due.

[zhdar]

check out "Darbar: Ustad Wassifuddin Dagar" parts 1 and 2

[kalikaputra]

mmmmmmm sweet. thanks for that mate.

[gopeshgaur]

Please note. . . Their Tanpuras are not properly Tuned you can hear the beats . . .

And I agree with mlredr. . . . They are singing in a precomposed manner. . . far from live performance and far from Dagarvani Dhrupad. . .

[kalikaputra]

When you go to other cultures you need to adjust accordingly they performed in japan. The Building make up is different to places in India,the audience likes and dislikes is different. Drupada is so sattvic that it takes getting used to, I played for a western friend once and shit felt like vomiting,now 6 years later she is learning vocals in Varnasi.Takes time,why be traditional and you cant even express it outside your village?

[kalikaputra]

So the tampuras was off,hey guess what?They visit Japan regularily, Japanese likes people with mauliable minds,hence they appreciated their performances and requested them to go back. maybe they perposefully tuned the tampuras that way. In Sydney I tune my pakawaja off as the audience loves the roar of a slightly off tuned pakawaj. Guess what we perform yearly while your traditional ass is chewing pan with your village friends.

Who is doing more for drupada?

[panchamkauns]

You can certainly argue for and against the Gundecha brothers' approach, perhaps especially the harmonizing, compared to Ritwik Sanyal and Uday Bhawalkar, who are fantastic singers.

But to go so far as to say this clip is not wonderful music is to lose perspective.

[tommyhothead]

some very strong opinions here... many of which stray far from nada brahma to self inflation and ego! ouch. You must feel bad to leave that sitting out for all to see and be embarrassed by.

The Gundecha's recording of Raga Miyan Malhar is superb. One of my favorites in a very large collection of "ICM"

The world of sound and even long-standing traditions are changed while passing. If sound touches you in some way, who is to say that it is bad, or cheap, or that you are not worthy?

[mlredr]

I am responding to the adulation expressed in the comments here. I think without legitimate criticism, every art form is bound to degenerate into mere titillation and entertainment. If that is what you seek, I have no issue with that. However, to claim that this is some amazing Dhrupad in the tradition of Dagarvani is exaggeration at the least, especially to someone who spent a lot of time listening to the masters of Dagarvani Dhrupad.

[kalikaputra]

Dude why you spitting hate for? The Gundecha brothers trained under the late zia Fariddudin and zia Mohiuddin Dagars and they had nothing but praise for their students.That speaks for itself.The fact is depending on the venues they go to they may have to adjust the drupada format. The fact is by doign this they are getting heaps of people interested in drupada.While your traditional ass is simply killing the art.You have to adjust with time adn they are doing it jsut fine.Back to your hole.

[mlredr]

Excuse me.. "my hole"? why don't you worry about your own pie-hole?

As I said again and again, I have no issue with their art. I just don't think it is Dagarvani or Dhrupad. If art can be diluted at will "depending on the venues", where is the integrity?

There are other students of Zia F and M Dagars that are more respectful of the Dhrupad tradition they were taught. Have you heard of Pt. Ritwik Sanyal or Uday Bhawalkar? My guess is your "Dhrupad" starts and ends with the Gundecha brothers.

[kalikaputra]

Well traditional a full drupada would go for 4 days alap everything, who doing that today? Not even the dagars. So there goes your tradition. The brothers can sing full drupada and at their gurukulla they teach full drupada. If they choose to sing short modified forms soemtiems,well whats the problem?

My drupada starts with me studying Pakawaj for the last 14 years With the last 10 years doing accompaniment. Where does your own start? I bet its armchair drupada. Pitiful really.

[folopo2]

magnificent...takes you "far away"...

[PHILDIPALMA]

I was lucky enough to be invited to visit their Dhrupad school last year. An amazing experience, and they are very talented (and very humble) artists...

[LastRqss]

what are the names of those instruments

[rajesht81]

ladies are playing the 'tambura'

the other artist is playing percussion 'pakhwaj'

[prmishra1]

Very nicely sung. Though this song is not the full dhrupad which this duo is used to sing but this clip does give a feel of totality. The short gamak they show during singing is beautiful. Who say harmony is bad neither don't know these talented student of Dagars nor they know dhupad.

[madanmccoon123]

Great !! Superb !!!

[shashwatipaul]

how nicely & innovatively they have started the raga ,maintaing the particular shrutis of Adana.Superb,fantastic.

Post more videos of them.

[shridanyam]

Very nice!Good Performance.I suggest you upload the same in 'Dynamycdesi'.It is a online talent contest site for people.

[adamboots1]

This is beautiful! I like the harmonys..

[ushas1953]

What a powerful rendering of Raga Adana!Captivating and invigorating dhrupad!

Thanks for posting!

[sanjeevds]

Thank you ! :)

[avedula]

The Gundecha Brothers can be quite good if they let go of their penchant for introducing pop innovations into Dhrupad singing. Particularly the nasal Alap and vocal harmonizing. One can't help but wonder how they would sound without the aid of mikes and amplification.

[subalternator]

lord. why dont you go try singin a bit of dhrupad fool.

[avedula]

Is it necessary to be unnecessarily insulting? Anyway, that was my opinion. If you disagree, feel free to. The last I checked, this is a free country.

[subalternator]

i did feel free to...ahhaha

thanks for the update on the amendments, i didn't get that memo....wow, i might tell mass that i'll be going home for thanksgiving

[kalikaputra]

I studied the pakawaj and played accompaniment on many occasions, even when playing the pakawaj you need certain feed back to get into the raga and same goes for the vocalist. The fact is most modern buildings are crap and the curtain behind them dampen the sound so an amplifier is needed to get the proper nada. To say what you said is asinine and immature if you knew how talented these gentlemen really are. Read and learn before speaking.

[dvkrm]

i have heard them 'unplugged' in a living room and they were enchanting. they would not be unique if they did not have their own 'personalization' to their style of singing. please don't demonize it by calling it 'pop innovation'; that would be rude.

[kalikaputra]

Dude, in the days of the moguls and the ancient raj's of Bharata,the buildings for drupada where built to specification.The performers used to sit on a dias made of marble or sand stone or granite.The dome above their head had arches that where set at Ghana or angle sequences of 111221133311444 angles at 30 40 60 degrees respectively. Then the material and arches for the audiences where built at double this to amplify the sound naturally.

[korektphool]

the vocal harmonising is especially bad.

[woodwind76]

what do you mean with "especially bad"?

[jdurgama]

They're my teachers. I assure you they sound wonderful without amplification.

[MrShreyang]

@jdurgama wow u r too lucky too learn dhrupad and dhamar keep it up :D

[mlredr]

This is for one "subalternator" AKA moron: While I admire the dedication and talent of the Gundecha Brothers, if one were to compare their Alap against, for instance Rahimuddin Dagar, it's hard not to feel that the Gundecha Brothers perform a "Bollywood"ized Dhrupad.

Much of their Alap is entire octave glides of Voom Voooms with each of the brothers singing different notes, often producing pretty discordant "harmonies". Much of their recorded sound relies on electronic amplification and reverb.

[szanane801]

can you perform like gundecha brothers ??

[mlredr]

I think you miss the point. Every artist needs a counterpart, an educated, appreciative audience. I do enjoy and appreciate their music, but more as devotional music, as I would perhaps listen to a pleasant Bhajan but not strictly as "Dhrupad".

I have older recordings of the Gundecha Brothers where their singing was more like Dhrupad than a movie playback. Most of their recent music has that synthetic, carefully and clinically scrubbed quality ... along with those sundry electronic effects.

[oortbelt]

this gives me the goose bumps the same way that black sabbath does.

[tuskul]

excellent performance !!!

[salbadel]

awesome!

[padmavenkata]

Excellent performance.....Awesome....The­re is jeeva swaram in every second in this rendition....

[jatlee1973]

its raag adhana in 10 beat taal, the tempo is fast! raajan saajan singh have made a bandish in this raag also, taan kab taaan!

[poulsendean]

Umakant,Ramakant and Akhilesh on pakhawaj,God Bless You: the greatest younger generation of Dhrupad. more postings if possible. thank you

[Mingual123]

does somebody know which raga they perform???

thanx a lot

[holikarang]

they say it at the beginning

[karamchand22]

adana

[vedantbhatt]

I had heard this piece in a live performance and always yearned to listened to it again.  Many thanks for the posting. It is amazing. The brothers are keeping the pure form of dhrupad alive. Looking for more such postings.

[bstorm5]

Absolutely brilliant.

[jatlee1973]

i cant stop watching this again and again! theyre just too good! always on sur so perfectly  . Gavat geet bajaavat taal!

[jatlee1973]

dhrupad is the style of the gods!

[tubeiyi]

life vibrates......................­.