Dhrupad

Dhrupad is a studio album by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. The brothers released the album on June 8, 2018, through the label Country & Eastern. The recording presents traditional dhrupad, a vocal genre of Hindustani classical music, and features 21 tracks in digital media format.

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar belong to the Dagar gharana, a lineage renowned for its dhrupad tradition. The album emphasizes the core elements of the form, including alap, jor, and jhala, alongside compositions set to rhythmic cycles such as chautal, dhammar, and jhaptal. The repertoire spans multiple ragas, with notable tracks including Alap, Jor, Jhala in Multani, Bhimpalasi – Chautal, Suha – Dhammar, Lalit – Dhammar, and Kedar – Dhammar.

The album also features compositions in Chayanat – Dhammar, Gaud-Sarang – Dhammar, Lachasa – Jhaptal, Rageshvarey – Jhaptal, Madhmand Sarang – Jhaptal, Shyam Malhar – Jhaptal, and a second interpretation of Suha – Jhaptal. The performances adhere to the dhrupad style’s characteristic emphasis on sustained notes, intricate melodic development, and rhythmic precision. The release date coincided with a formal event on June 8, 2018, though further details about the event remain undocumented.

The album serves as a representation of the Dagar brothers’ interpretation of the dhrupad tradition. The label Country & Eastern distributed the work exclusively in digital format. No physical media release accompanied the digital version. The tracklist and performance style reflect the artists’ commitment to preserving and presenting the classical structure of dhrupad.