Suha – Dhammar

Dhammar (Suha) is a dhrupad composition performed by Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. The track appears as the third entry on the album Dhrupad, released on June 8, 2018 under the label Country & Eastern. The recording spans 11 minutes and 34 seconds and adheres to the suha raga, a melodic framework in the Dagarbani tradition of dhrupad.

The album Dhrupad presents a collection of works in the dhrupad genre, a vocal style within Indian classical music known for its emphasis on alap (unmetered melodic development) and rigorous adherence to raga structures. The Dagar brothers, descendants of the Dagar gharana, employ the rudra veena and vocal techniques characteristic of their lineage. The label Country & Eastern distributed the album in digital media format, targeting audiences engaged with traditional North Indian classical forms.

The track Dhammar exemplifies the dhammar tala, a 14-beat rhythmic cycle often paired with solemn or meditative ragas. The performance features layered vocal textures, with Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar alternating and harmonizing in the jugalbandi (duet) style. The composition avoids instrumental accompaniment beyond the tanpura drone, maintaining the austerity typical of Dagarbani dhrupad.

Limited documentation exists on the specific lyrical content or historical provenance of this dhammar composition. The 2018 release marks one of several collaborative works by the Dagar brothers under the Country & Eastern imprint, though the label has not published detailed liner notes for the album. The track’s duration and structural complexity align with conventional dhrupad performances, prioritizing raga exploration over rhythmic or lyrical embellishment.