Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar Performs Traditional Indian Music At Chicago Cultural Center

Chicago (Illinois), USA – On Wednesday, November 9 at 7 pm, the
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs presents a free concert by Indian
musician
Ustad
Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar, who represents the twentieth consecutive generation
of Dhrupad musicians from the Dagarvani tradition. The concert, which takes
place in the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center, 78 East
Washington Street, features Dhrupad music, one of the oldest forms of Indian
classical music. This is Dagar’s only Chicago appearance on his current U.S.
tour. Admission is free.Both a vocal and instrumental style, Dhrupad music is spiritual in nature and is
meant to induce feelings of peace and contemplation in the listener. Dagar fills
every note with space and color, traveling across three octaves, and uses subtle
modulations in volume and sound application to bring out diverse shades of
meaning. The majority of Dhrupad compositions being sung today were written in
the 16th century and performed in the royal courts of the emperors and kings of
India. Dhrupad music has two major parts, Alap (sung without words), and Dhrupad
(a fixed composition sung with the accompaniment of a two-headed barrel drum
called the Pakhawaj). This concert features Mohan Shyam Sharma, who accompanies
Dagar on the Pakhawaj. A vocal Dhrupad performance begins with a slow and
meditative Alap comprised of syllables taken from a mantra and devoted to
various Hindu gods. This tour is presented by Dagarvani.org with the active
support of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi.

For more information about this program and future Chicago Cultural Center
Presents programs, please call 312.744.6630 or visit
www.chicagoculturalcenter.org.

This performance is part of Chicago Cultural Center Presents, an ongoing
showcase series that highlights critically acclaimed national and international
musicians who are rarely seen by Chicago audiences in mainstream venues.

Public programs at the Chicago Cultural Center are presented by the City of
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and are partially supported by a grant
from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.