Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar is a famous Indian classical singer, representing the 20th generation of the Dagar family of loyal dhrupad singers. He is the son of famous dhrupad singer Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar. Faiyaz was awarded the Padma Shri in 2010. He is the President of the Indian Dajjal Association.
Wiki/Biography
Ustad Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar was born on Monday, April 15, 1968 in Nizamuddin, Delhi (age 55; as of 2023). His zodiac sign is Taurus. He grew up in Asiad village in Delhi’s Khel Gaon, surrounded by the powerful Dajjal clan.
Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar’s old photos with his father
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Hair color: Salt and pepper (semi-bald; sometimes dyes hair black)
Eye color: dark brown
family
He comes from a family of classical singers.
Parents and siblings
His father Ustad Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar is a Dhrupad singer. He was born in 1934 and died in 1989. Wasif’s mother Begum Mehmooda Dagar died in 2014. He has four sisters namely Neelu, Meenu, Guddu and Raju.
Ustad Nasir Fayazuddin Dagar
Fayaz Wasifuddin Darjal and his mother
wife
In 2020, he married Zainab.
Ustad Wasifuddin Dargar and Zainab
other relatives
His grandfather Nasiruddin Khan was a singer who died in 1936.
Photos of Ustad Nasiruddin Khan Dagar
Wasif’s father, Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar, had three brothers. Nasir Munuddin Khan Dargar (1919-1966), Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dargar (1923-2000) and Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin ·Duggar (1932-1994).
Photos of Ustad Munuddin Khan Dargar
Photos of Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Khan Darjal
Photos of Ustad Nasir Zahiruddin Khan Darjal
Wasif’s uncle Nasir Moinuddin Dagar and Nasir Aminuddin Dagar performed as a duo and were popularly known as ‘Senior/ Elder Dajjal Brothers”. His father Nasir Faiyazuddin Dagar and uncle Nasir Zahiruddin formed a highly successful duo known as the Junior/Young Dagar Brothers (Junior/Younger Dagar Brothers). Wasif’s other uncle (from his great-great-grandfather) received the award for upholding the Drupada tradition in India’s post-independence years.
genealogy
Genealogy of Ustad F. Wasifuddin
Profession
It all starts at home
At the age of five, Wasif began taking music lessons at home. Faiyaz trained under his father and uncle Ustad N. Zahiruddin Dagar from 1989 to 1994.
Young Wasifuddin Dajjal holding sitar
His grandfather’s brother, Ustad Rahimuddin Khan Dagar, was a Drupad practitioner who mentored and trained Faiyaz. His other uncles Ustad N. Aminuddin Dagar and Ustad N. Mohiuddin Dagar also played an important role in his life. He said in an interview that he learned a lot from his uncles Ustad R. Fahimuddin Dagar, Ustad Z. Fariduddin Dagar and Ustad H. Sayeeduddin Dagar.
Photos of Wasifuddin Dajjal when he was young
Wasif’s live performance
Wasifuddin Dagar performed for the first time in front of an audience on February 25, 1989; he sang with his uncle Ustad Zahiruddin Dagar. In 1992, his first album was released in India, Switzerland and Japan. Since then, he has recorded for many well-known record companies in countries such as Switzerland, Japan and the United States.
Wasifuddin Dagar performs with uncle Zahiruddin Dagar
Since 2000, Duggar has toured several countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary and North American countries, where he performed Dhrupad. In 2000, he performed the Hindustani classical raga music “Raga Bihag” live as a solo for the first time. In 2001, he performed at the World Religious Music Festival, a major sponsor of the Dalai Lama. Ustad has also performed at many high-level events such as the United Nations Peace Summit and UNESCO in France. He has represented his Lagasse and Seuss at many prestigious universities, including the Smithsonian Institution, Yale University, the University of Washington, Stanford University, and the University of California. He coordinated and participated in the Dhrupad festivals initiated by his father and uncle in Delhi and Jaipur. Apart from this, Wasif has also appeared on television and radio, including Auroville Radio.
Ustad F. Wasifuddin Dagar performs at Auroville, Pondicherry
Wasif Dagar at Le Festival de Fès des Musiques Sacrées du Monde 2015 (English translation: Le Festival de Fès des Musiques Sacrées du Monde 2015), Dilly Durbar 2019 Dilli Durbar) and the Delhi Classical Music Festival 2021 (Delhi Classical Music Festival 2021).
Wasifuddin Dagar performed at Le Festival de Fès des Musiques Sacrées du Monde 2015
He has performed at many workshops, including the Dhrupad Singing Workshop in Amelia and a 2018 concert in Assisi, Italy.
2018 Italian Dhrupad Singing Seminar Poster
Over the years, he has made subtle adjustments and improvisations using volume and sound applications to convey various tones of the same musical theme. Wasif balances a busy concert schedule with mentoring multiple students. Carrying on his family tradition.
Photos of Wasifuddin Dagar training students
dispute
Apply for melody copyright
In 2023, Wasifuddin Dagar claimed that the melody of the song “Veera Veera” sung by AR Rahman in the film “Ponniyin Selvan: II” was copied and used with the same candor in which his father and uncle sang Shiva Stuti. Singing in Dawa style. According to reports, Mani Ratnam’s production house, the producers of the film Ponniyin Selvan: I & II and Madras Talkies’ lawyers have sent a letter in which they stated that the Daggal brothers’ work was not plagiarized in any way This song. While calling Wasifuddin’s copyright claims a “misunderstanding,” they also suggested he did it for publicity and financial purposes. According to the production house, the song is a traditional composition composed by Narayana Panditacharyain in the 13th century. In a media interaction, Wasifuddin said that AR Rehman spoke to him on call and told him that the film’s production team would be in touch with him, but that was all. He further added,
I hope Madras Talkie and Mr. Rahman got the family’s permission. I will never say no. But doing this in order to obtain huge commercial benefits is very problematic. This work has just been brought up and sung in the same Tandava style…. The only difference is the arrangement of the piece. “
The letter sent by the lawyers of the Madras Talkies Company also stated that the Drupada genre was actually invented by Swami Haridas and that no one can claim to have a monopoly on a “singing style” . Later, Wasif’s student and founder of Navayana Publishing House, S. Anand, spoke about the matter in a media interaction and said that although AR Rahman recognized Dagarvani, the lawyer said that it was Shiv Stuti used by Narayana Panditacharya, which is a Sanskrit verse chants, while the Junior Dagar Brothers’ bandish is Braj bhasha.
receive an eviction notice
Wasif has lived in House No. 3 since he was a child. He lived at 379 KP Thakkar Block in Delhi’s Asiad Village, but in 2022, he received an eviction notice from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs asking him to vacate the government-allocated accommodation. After living in “Drupad House” for 34 years, the family had to move out. Twenty-seven other Indian classical artists and dancers, including Kuchipudi dancer Guru V Jayarama Rao and Mohiniyattam dancer Bharati Shivaji, have also received the same notice. Some of them later asked the court to be considerate of their “unfortunate circumstances” such as their old age and financial status. However, the Delhi High Court later ignored their plea. Wasif spoke about this in an interview and said:
We will sit down and see what we can do (after the Delhi High Court judgment). It’s obviously not easy for someone like me to buy a house in Delhi…but I really don’t understand why these 10-15 houses bother them (the government) so much? What is the larger agenda behind them? We artists have always represented the government and national causes and represented India as cultural ambassadors on international platforms. “
Honor
In 2010, Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar was awarded the Padma Shri.
Faiyaz Wasifuddin Dagar was awarded the Padma Shri in 2010 by then President Pratibha Patil
Facts/Trivia
- His family affectionately calls him ‘Bachhu’.
- He is a descendant of Miyan Tansen’s mentor, Swami Haridas Dagar (1480-1573).
- In 1992, Renuka George made a French television documentary called Dagarvani, which focused on the concerts and music of Wasif and his uncle Zahir.
- Most of Wasifuddin’s performances have become topics of discussion in several well-known media outlets, including The Washington Post and The New York Times.
- He likes to keep diaries.
The first page of the diary of F. Wasifuddin Dagar
- Dagar loves art and likes to write calligraphy in his spare time.
Calligraphy by Fayaz Wasifuddin Darjal
- From his childhood, he fantasized about being a “Dilli-wala” (resident of Delhi) and wrote several poems about it.
Kai Sadiyon ki basti haiKai Sadiyon se basti haiBaste baste basti haiDilli dil mein basti hai
This is a city of history. Much history lives here. It lives here in the lives of the people here.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education