Miyan Ki Todi – Alap (part I)

Miyan Ki Todi – Alap (part I) is a 17-minute-38-second dhrupad performance recorded by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. The track appears as side D on the 12\" vinyl release Raag Malkauns – Ragini Miyan Ki Todi (Bombay 1968), issued by Black Sweat Records on June 26, 2024.

The recording captures a live alap in Ragini Miyan Ki Todi, a raga associated with the Dagarvani tradition of dhrupad. Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar present the composition in the slow, meditative style characteristic of the Dagar bani, emphasizing sustained notes and intricate gamak taans. The performance originates from a 1968 session in Bombay, though the exact venue and original recording context remain undocumented in available sources.

The 2024 vinyl release compiles archival material from the Dagar brothers’ mid-20th-century recordings. Black Sweat Records remastered the audio for analog playback, retaining the tonal qualities of the original tape. The album pairs this track with a rendition of Raag Malkauns on the opposing side. No additional musicians or accompanying instruments are credited for this specific alap section.

Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar (1929–1990) and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (1932–2013) belonged to the 19th generation of Dagar dhrupad singers, known for preserving the vocal techniques of their lineage. Their collaborations in the 1960s and 1970s contributed to the revival of interest in dhrupad during the 20th century. The 2024 reissue marks one of the few commercially available vinyl pressings of their work from this period.