About Raga Yaman / Raga Shuddha Todi
Raga Yaman / Raga Shuddha Todi is a studio album by dhrupad vocalist and rudra veena exponent Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar. Released in 2000 by Nimbus Records, the album presents two extended raga performances in the dhrupad tradition of Hindustani classical music. The recording captures Dagar’s interpretation of Raga Yaman and Raga Shuddha Todi, structured in the conventional alap-jor-jhala format without rhythmic accompaniment.
Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar performs all vocal sections on the album. The release comprises four tracks divided between the two ragas. The first two tracks feature Raga Yaman, beginning with a 30-minute Alap that explores the raga’s melodic contours. The second track transitions into Jor and Jhala, introducing rhythmic pulsation and faster phrasing while retaining the raga’s meditative character. The latter half of the album shifts to Raga Shuddha Todi, another core raga of the Dagarbani tradition. The third track presents its Alap, emphasizing the raga’s intricate microtonal inflections and grave emotional depth. The fourth track concludes with Jor and Jhala, intensifying the rhythmic and technical complexity.
The album was issued on compact disc in 2000 under the Nimbus Records label. No additional instrumentalists or accompanying artists are credited on the release. The recording session’s location and production personnel remain undocumented in available sources. The work exemplifies Dagar’s adherence to the Dagar vani style, characterized by prolonged alap development, sparse embellishment and a focus on pure raga elaboration.
Critical reception and commercial performance details for the album are not widely recorded. The release forms part of Dagar’s discography from the late 1990s and early 2000s, a period during which he recorded several solo and collaborative works for international labels. The album’s liner notes, if included, are not summarized in accessible references.