Dhrupad legend Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar passes away

Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar (1932-2013), dhrupad vocalist, breathed his last on 8 May 2013 after a brief illness. Son of the illustrious dhrupadiya, late Ustad Ziauddin Dagar, he, along with his brother, the late Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar(legendary rudra veena player), played a major role in the revival of the dhrupad tradition in the 20th century. [caption id=“attachment_766935” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar. Image courtesy: Ajinkya Shenava[/caption] Master of srutis and blessed with a resonant voice, Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar enthralled audiences both in India and the rest of the world. He performed in many major festivals in India and abroad and was the recipient of prestigious awards like the Sangeet Natak Academy Fellowship, Tagore Ratna Award and Tansen Samman. He leaves behind a rich and vibrant tradition carried on by his students which include his nephew and rudra veena player Bahauddin Dagar, the Gundecha brothers, Uday Bhawalkar, Pushparaj Koshti, Ritwik Sanyal and  Nirmalya Dey.