Ashoka Dhar – The Lyrical Tradition Of Dhrupad 8 - Dagarvani

"Main disciple of the late Ustad N. Aminuddin Dagar (Dagar Brothers) for the last 31 years, Ashoka Dhar is the torch bearer of the Nasiruddin Dagar style. Her sensitivity, subtelty and knowledge of Dhrupad is matchless. She is also one of the very few female Dhrupad singers in India. Born in 1946 in Calcutta (Bengal) in a family of music lovers, Ashoka Dhar has studied classical singing since she was 9 years old. After 9 years with the khyal master J.V.S. Rao, she has obtained the Sangeet Bisharad Award. In 1969 she became the student of the great master Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar (Dagar Brothers). The Ustad taught her the Dhrupad of the Dagarvani until his death in december 2000. For 31 years, Ashoka Dhar has received the purest form of Guru-Shishya Parampara, the oldest and most traditonal way of teaching. She has inherited a wealth of poems, ragas and secrets. She has toured a lot in India in very famous festivals (New Delhi and Bombay Dhrupad Festivals, Tansen Samaroh of Gwalior, Dhrupad Samaroh of Bhopal, Amir Khan Samaroh of Indore, Benares Dhrupad Mela) In 1985 she received the Surmoni Award. She is now in charge of the Dhrupad Ashram of the Dagar family in Calcutta, a unique Dhrupad school in Bengal."