The Dagar Brothers

Legends in the realm of contemporary dhrupad singing, the Dagar Brothers occupy an unmatched position. Differentiating the successive pairs who carried that name requires a brief chronological outline. Court musicians in Indore had long formed the family’s lineage. Nasiruddin Khan Dagar died in 1936 at the age of 41. His eldest sons, Moinuddin and Aminuddin, sustained the hereditary practice of dhrupad and first brought this austere, stately form to western ears. After Moinuddin’s death in 1966, Nasir Zahiruddin Dagar (1933-) and Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar (1934-1989) assumed leadership. Their performances in particular left an enormous mark on Indian music lovers.