Raag Bilaskhani Todi | Ustad Bahauddin Dagar | Late Morning | Darbar VR360

#darbarfestival | Legend has it that Bilaskhani Todi was created by the son of the legendary saint-musician Mian Tansen, who first sung it by mistake at his father’s wake.
► Welcome to the Darbar VR360 Festival. We’ve released over 50 immersive VR videos showcasing some of India’s finest artists performing in breathtaking natural landscapes, spanning Hindustani, Carnatic, Dhrupad, and percussion.

For the best experience use a VR headset with headphones. Experience being the sole ‘audience member’ right next to the musicians for your own private raga performance, enjoying the music amidst India’s natural world. For more info, including the full program, see www.darbar.org/video360

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ustad Bahauddin Dagar is a modern torchbearer of the Dagarvani Dhrupad, known for its patient, meditative approach. He is the world’s leading master of the rudra veena (‘roaring veena’), still considered by many to be the king of Indian instruments. Though rare today, its even, austere tone remains linked with a certain universal purity, close to the essence of Indian classical.

Some trace the Dagar family lineage back to master musicians of the 16th century, and Bahauddin first studied under his father Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. He describes the relationship: “His method of teaching was subtle and mysterious...he would give a student a few key phrases that captured its soul. Then he would ask him to work on them till the spirit of the raga revealed itself. And, we did find that once we had mastered the key to a raga, the whole raga opened itself up effortlessly when we sat down to play.”

Bahauddin’s musical style is marked by an unobtrusive eloquence, and he regularly performs with no accompaniment, harking back to a pre-technological age when musicians played longer and slower. But he also draws creative energy from Dhrupad’s status as a living form - it may be India’s oldest surviving style of classical music, but many consider it to be the most highly evolved by virtue of this. He has a reputation for high-quality teaching across the global veena community. In his words, “each instrument has its own pace of life. A beenkar must never be in a hurry”.

Read an extended interview with Bahauddin, and see his artist page here:
-https://www.darbar.org/article/ustad-bahauddin-dagar-interview/22
-https://www.darbar.org/artist/ustad-bahauddin-dagar/33

"Once the veena is tuned in keeping with the chosen raga’s features, there is no going back. The microtones start issuing orders. I am neither a religious person, nor an atheist, but I have seen this happening. Veena demands total surrender."

The Todi raga family is central to the Hindustani tradition, overflowing with musical ideas not found anywhere else on the planet. In the words of musicologist Rajan Parrikar, Todi is “the most profound, finespun idea in melodic music...from ecstasy to frolic to pathos to bathos to melancholy - every conceivable human emotion has refracted through the Todi prism.”

Bilaskhani Todi is a particularly auspicious Todi raga. Legend has it that it was created by Bilas Khan, the son of the legendary saint-musician Mian Tansen of Emperor Akbar’s court. Bilas is said to have sung Todi at his father’s wake, and found himself so stricken by grief that he mixed up the notes. But his mind was soon set at rest, as the mourners witnessed his father’s corpse raise one hand in approval of the new melody.

Roughly speaking, the raga ascends pentatonically with the swaras SrgPd, and descends with all seven of SrgmPdn, often in patterns such as rndm, Pdnd, mrgr, S. It takes a curious vadi-samvadi [king and queen note] pairing of Dha and Ga, and can feature prominent sruti [microtones] - ga and Dha are often tuned a little low, and tivra Ma can be strikingly sharp. It can be expounded in all octaves, and is considered challenging to truly master.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recorded by Darbar in 2019, on location in West India:
-Ustad Bahauddin Dagar (rudra veena)
-Shibu Muity (tanpura)

Technical team credit:
-Jagdeep Shah (DOP)
-Sandeep Virdee (location sound)
-Nirmal Singh (360 editor)
-Christoph Bracher (ambisonic sound dubbing)
-Narvir Singh (assistant editor)
-Special thanks to Sherna Chatterjee & Mortimer Chatterjee

Darbar believes in the power of Indian classical arts to stir, thrill and inspire. Through shared experiences and digital connectivity we ensure that one of the world’s finest art forms reaches the widest possible audience. Founded in 2006, we deliver premium quality live events, music education, broadcasts and online engagement through promoting artistic innovation and creative technology. We are also committed to providing a platform for new talent from India and the UK.

All Rights Reserved ©2019 Darbar Arts Culture Heritage Trust

Видео Raag Bilaskhani Todi | Ustad Bahauddin Dagar | Late Morning | Darbar VR360 канала darbarfestival