About Raga Shudda Todi
Raga Shudda Todi is a studio recording of North Indian classical music by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, a prominent exponent of the Dhrupad tradition and the 19th-generation descendant of the Dagar bani. Released in 1994 by Nimbus Records, the album presents an unaccompanied vocal performance of Raga Shuddha Todi, a morning raga associated with the Todi thaat in the Hindustani classical system.
The recording captures a single extended rendition divided into two tracks. The first track features the alap, an unmetered improvisational section that explores the raga’s melodic contours through gradual development. The second track transitions into jor and jhala, where rhythmic pulse emerges in the jor before culminating in the fast-paced, percussive jhala. Dagar employs the tanpura as the sole accompaniment, adhering to the austere aesthetic of the Dagar vani.
The album was issued on CD as part of Nimbus Records’ series on Indian classical music. The release date aligns with the label’s mid-1990s catalog expansion into traditional and folk genres. No additional session musicians or instrumentalists are credited. The liner notes, where present, typically include contextual essays on Dhrupad and the raga’s structural characteristics, though specific authorship remains undocumented in available sources.
Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1929–1990) recorded the performance prior to his death, with Nimbus Records releasing it posthumously. The album exemplifies his mastery of swara (note) modulation and gamak (ornamentation), hallmarks of the Dagar style. No alternate editions, remasters, or reissues of this recording are confirmed in public records. The track durations and precise recording location are not specified in the original release documentation.