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first part |
Rahim
Fahimuddin Dagar interview second part
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IZ:
Fahim saheb, please tell us about your initiation into
dhrupad and about your long years of training and riyaaz.
In
accordance with our family's tradition, I was asked
to sit along with the elders of the family from the
time I was five years old to observe if I had any capability
and thirst for learning. From the time I was ten till
I was fourteen years of age, I was asked to practice
nada yoga and the 12 mool siddhant and practice
playing the tanpura on the basis of which I could
then be taught Ragas and compositions. These mool
siddhant or fundamental principles are - (i) aakaar;
(ii) gamak; (iii) lahak; (iv) dagar;
(v) duran; (vi) muran; (vii) kampit;
(viii) andol; (ix) isphurt; (x) soot;
(xi) meend; and (xii) hudak. It should
also be known that to master these fundamental principles,
it takes a whole lifetime and even then one might feel
anxious about one's mastery over them!
I
was tied the ganda or the sacred ritual thread
by my eldest uncle Ustad Nasiruddin Khan Dagar in accordance
with the family tradition and received my taleem
from him, my father Allabande Ustad Rahimuddin Khan
Dagar, and my younger uncles Ustad Imamuddin Khan Dagar
and Ustad Hussainuddin Khan Dagar or Tansen Pandey as
he was more popularly known. I trained under my father
for a period of 35 years and also learnt rudra veena
from my uncle Ustad Ziauddin Khan Dagar for a period
of 12 years.
Zia Fariduddin Dagar, Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar, Rahim
Fahimuddin Dagar, Nasir Aminuddin Dagar, Zia Mohiuddin
Dagar, Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and Hussain Sayeeduddin
Dagar
IZ: Which musicians have you liked over the years?
Ust.RFD:
Ihave liked many musicians and have always made it a
point to listen to other forms of music and learn from
them as well as enjoy the different stylistic approaches
to music. I have enjoyed the vocal music of Ustad Bade
Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Mushtaq Hussain Khan, Ustad Altaf
Hussain Khurjewale, Ustad Chand Khan and Ustad Amir
Khan, the instrumental music of Ustad Vilayat Khan,
Pt. Ravi Shankar and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, the dance
of Pt. Shambhu Maharaj, Pt. Birju Maharaj and Pt. Kelucharan
Mohapatra, and the qawwali of Imam Baksh Qawwal.
IZ:
How has your involvement with SPIC MACAY been?
Ust.RFD:
I have been associated with SPIC MACAY almost since
its inception in 1977 and have really enjoyed going
to schools and colleges and interacting with children.
After all, it is my responsibility as a pallbearer of
a great Indian tradition to ensure that it sustains
itself even after I am gone and I take that very seriously.
It is a joy to be with children and see them try and
absorb such things of depth and over the years, I have
seen a visible change in their outlook and personalities!
However,
some policies of SPIC MACAY need urgent revision, the
most important being giving a higher artist honorarium
keeping in mind the changed times and the needs of an
artist as a human being with a family to support! The
Gurukul scholarship scheme also needs some attention.
The students sent to the gurus have to be of a good
standard so that the guru is able to instill some values
and teaching into them for the short period of time
they are with the guru.
IZ:
What do you see in the future of classical music in
general and the Dagar family in particular?
Ust.RFD: In today's day and age, I see that there is
much more publicity and discussion about music. At the
same time, I see a visible paucity in terms of the basic
fundamental knowledge among musicians. Tradition seems
to have taken a backseat and the most visible sign of
it is the diminishing guru-shishya parampara.
What has come to the fore is the culture of showmanship
in which each artist competes with the other in order
to sell himself/herself in a better way.
However,
you have to remember that this classical music has survived
many onslaughts and droughts of performers. Whatever
has depth and tradition behind it is very strong and
has a solid foundation. This is the reason that it will
continue to survive and will find its practitioners
along the line.
As
far as the Dagar family is concerned, the young performers
in the family are the representatives of the 20th generation
in an unbroken chain. If they preserve the basic depth
in the dagar bani which has been handed down
to them and maintain their individuality, I am sure
they will do well and continue to show the world what
our family holds. However, they need to develop a sense
of responsibility and maturity which has been the hallmark
of their forefathers.
IZ:
Tell us about your family life.
Ust.RFD: I was blessed with wonderful parents and had
the privilege of being born in such a musically rich
family. I got married on 19th November 1961 to Naheed
and we are still as much in love as we were when we
first met! She has been a wonderful partner and has
always taken good care of me making me understand the
things about life which are beyond my comprehension.
We have a daughter whose name is Saba. She is blessed
with three sons whose names are Yasir, Zeeshan and Faisal.
They all love me a lot and each time they come to visit
me, I feel young all over again and get inspired by
their zest for life. I am more than satisfied with my
family life and thank the Almighty for blessing me with
such a loving family.
IZ:
Do you have any hobbies?
Ust.RFD:
I love gardening! These days, whenever I have even a
little bit of free time, I like to tend to my plants.
I also enjoy photography, reading and watching cricket
and hockey. In terms of indoor games, I enjoy playing
carom, monopoly and ludo with my grandsons. (Fahim
saheb's wife Naheed adds laughingly) "He is still
crazy about patangbaazi…I have seen the itch
in his hands when he sees kids flying kites even today!"
.
