Search - Bidur Mallik :: Fast Side of Dhrupad

Solid Effort from Mallik Family

10/28/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"FAST SIDE OF DHRUPAD collects together some shorter performances: short alaps followed by songs in tivra tal, sultal and jhaptal - all recorded in a German studio in 1993, performed by Vidur Mallik and his two sons ... no sarangi, no harmonium. Which is good. The Malliks are of course the second best known dhrupad family in India, after the Dagars. And unlike the Dagar brothers, who used to take turns singing alap (except in very old recordings), the Mallik family sing a lot in unison, in alap also, and there are three of them, which makes for a mighty sound; a very beautiful sound when there can be up to three long, intricate meends going on at the same time. The short alaps begin at full force with no build-up from softer singing.The only problem with this recording, really (if you take it for what it is - collection of short performances in various ragas) is the same problem I hear in almost any dhrupad recording made after 1960s: drummer overplays. On this record, the drummer is Ramji Uphadjaya, I don't know him from elsewhere, but in my opinion he plays a little too much, which tends to undermine somewhat the majesty of the dhrupad songs. However this is a minor quibble; if you like dhrupad records I'm sure you will enjoy this one too because that kind of drumming will be present on almost all of them today (and of course I listen to them anyway - a lot)."

The Lords of Dhrupad

Aditya Vedula | Princeton, NJ United States | 11/09/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The absolute lords of this noble, majestic and ancient tradition. The Malliks have preserved the tradition of Dhrupad in their family for hundreds of years. Dhrupad is an extermely rigorous and difficult discipline that takes a lifetime to learn and precious few have the ability to master. This CD is a treasure trove of rare Dhrupads probably existing only in their family. There are Dhrupads composed by Swami Haridas Dagur (Tansen's guru.15th century) and Sadarang (Niyamat Khan, father of Khyal.18th century) among others on this CD. The Malliks' powerful yet clear and sensitive rendering of the compositions is a sheer pleasure to listen to. The accompanying booklet is very good with translations of the lyrics and notes on the Ragas. The vocals are unbelievably powerful, complex and vigorous; accompanied by the deep, intricate rhythms played on the ancient Pakhavaj drum. I have had the pleasure of seeing them in concert twice on two consecutive evenings in the New York area, this CD comes close to that experience. If you listen to Hindustani music, this CD will open your mind to an experience unlike anything you have heard before. My gratitude to the Malliks for their incredible music."